37°48′45.8″S144°58′10.3″E / 37.812722°S 144.969528°E /-37.812722; 144.969528
TheEast End Theatre District is a precinct within thecentral business district (CBD) ofMelbourne, Victoria, Australia, and is bounded bySpring,Flinders,Swanston andLonsdale Streets. The district is home to eight theatres, including thePrincess Theatre,Her Majesty's Theatre and theRegent Theatre.[1] These theatres mostly house commercial productions of musicals, plays and other events, in contrast with the city'sSouthbank Arts Precinct across the Yarra River which focuses on publicly funded companies.
The East End of Melbourne was effectively formed by theHoddle Grid, withElizabeth Street the dividing line between east and west. TheHoddle Grid was laid out in 1837, following thefounding of the Melbourne settlement in 1835.
Melbourne's first theatre, the Pavilion, was constructed adjacent to the Eagle Tavern onBourke Street in 1842.[2] The second theatre, the Queen's, was also constructed as part of a pub, however it was, and remains, the only major theatre in Melbourne's CBD built west of Elizabeth Street.[2]
Seven purpose-built theatres survive within the East End. TheMelbourne Town Hall also serves as a performance space, regularly hosting theatrical shows, concerts, and live comedy. Other major entertainment venues in the East End Theatre District include live music venues170 Russell andMax Watt's House of Music, Hoyts Melbourne Central, Palace Kino,Chinatown andACMI cinemas.
| Theatre | Address | Opened | Capacity | Owner/Operator | First production | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athenaeum Theatre | 188Collins Street | 1872 | 880 | AT Management | Dear Brutus |  |
| The Capitol | 113Swanston Street | 1924 | 602 | RMIT | .jpg) | |
| Comedy Theatre | 240Exhibition Street | 1928 | 1003 | Marriner Group | Our Betters |  |
| Fortyfivedownstairs | 45Flinders Lane | 2002 | 150 |  | ||
| Forum Melbourne | 154Flinders Street | 1929 | 2520 | .jpg) | ||
| Her Majesty's Theatre | 219Exhibition Street | 1886 | 1700 | Hayden Attractions | Bad Lads |  |
| Princess Theatre | 163Spring Street | 1854 | 1452 | Marriner Group |  | |
| Regent Theatre | 191Collins Street | 1929 | 2141 | Marriner Group |  | |
| Town Hall | 100 Swanston Street | 1886 | 1,990 | Council of the City of Melbourne |  |
The East End has been home to over 25 different theatres since 1841. Some of the major former theatres are listed below.
| Theatre | Address | Opened | Closed | Capacity | Owner/Operator | First production | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auditorium | 171Collins Street | 1913 | 1934 | ||||
| Bijou Theatre | 225Bourke Street | 1876 | 1934 |  | |||
| Gaiety Theatre | 217Bourke Street | 1890 | 1934 | ||||
| Haymarket Theatre | 133Bourke Street | 1862 | 1871 |  | |||
| King's Theatre | 131Russell Street | 1908 | 1976 | ||||
| Olympic Theatre | Corner ofExhibition andLonsdale streets | 1855 | 1860 | The Lady of Lyons |  | ||
| Palace Theatre | 20Bourke Street | 1912 | 2014 |  | |||
| Pavilion | Corner ofSwanston andBourke streets | 1841 | 1845 | ||||
| Playbox Theatre | 55Exhibition Street | 1969 | 1984 | ||||
| Prince of Wales Opera House | 249Bourke Street | 1872 | 1898 | ||||
| Russell Street Theatre | 19-25Russell Street | 1955 | 1994 | ||||
| Theatre Royal | 232Bourke Street | 1855 | 1872 | The School for Scandal |  | ||
| Tivoli Theatre | 249Bourke Street | 1901 | 1966 |  | |||
| Total House | 170Russell Street | 1965 | 1978 |
In July 2016, the East End Theatre District was reported to have made an economic contribution of $692 million, and an economic impact of $226 million, to the state of Victoria.[3]