| St. James Theatre | |
|---|---|
Queen Street side of the St James Theatre |
|
| Address | 314 Queen Street |
| City | Auckland |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Architect | Henry Eli White |
| Owned by | Paul Doole[1] |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Closed | 2007 |
| Current use | unused |
The St James Theatre is a heritage stage theatre and cinema located on Queen Street in Auckland, New Zealand. Built in 1928, it was a replacement for the older Fuller's Opera house and was originally designed for vaudeville acts. Its architect Henry Eli White also designed many other famous theatres in Australia and New Zealand; these include the St James Theatre in Wellington and the State Theatre in Sydney.[2] It has been closed since 2007 after a fire raised concerns about safety and compliance.[3]
The building is classified as a "Category I" ("places of special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance or value") historic place by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.[2]
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The St James Theatre was commissioned by John Fullers and Sons Limited to replace the Fuller's Opera House that burned down in 1926.[4] They acquired the site on Queen Street opposite the Civic Square for around £100,000 and the construction of the theatre was estimated to cost around £80,000.[5] Construction was completed in 1928, at the time it was targeted at vaudeville acts. Upon its completion, the eldest brother of the Fuller family, Sir Benjamin Fuller, pronounced St James to be "the theatre perfect". The theatre's grand opening was on July 5, 1928 with the London Musical Company performing Archie.[6]
The St James has undergone several major modifications since its construction. Just a year after it was finished, in 1929, cinema projectors were added as cinema was gaining popularity over vaudeville. From then on cinema became a major part of St James, its first film screening was Gold Diggers of Broadway shown on Boxing Day 1929.[6]
In 1953 the building's facade and vestibule underwent renovation for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, who attended a cinema premiere screening there in December that year. As part of these renovations, the unique facade was hidden behind sheets of metal in an attempt to give the building a more modern look.[6][7]
In 1957 the Odeon Cinema with 670 seats was added to the theatre complex. In 1966 there were further modifications to the Queen Street facade, and in 1966 the Westend Cinema was added, and the Regent Theatre in 1982.
In 2007 a fire damaged the theatre and it has not been open to the public since then. Any new work to restore the building would require earthquake proofing according to Auckland City Council's building standards, adding to the cost of any future restoration of the theatre.[8] A 29-story apartment building next to the theatre has been approved by the Auckland City Council in 2009.[9] The developer behind the planned construction, and the current owner of the St James, Paul Doole, has stated that the cost to restore and to reopen the theatre is estimated to be around $50 million.[10]
While active, the theatre has hosted many famous performers such as the theatrical actors Sir Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Sir Ralph Richardson. In 1963 it saw The Black and White Minstrel Show, which at its time was the stage show seen by the largest number of people. In 1972 the successful West End musical play Charlie Girl performed at the St James with its original cast. At the 1981 Royal Command Performance held at the theatre for the visiting Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Howard Morrison held a premier performance of his te reo Māori version of the song How Great Thou Art that launched his commercial success.[6][11]