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 Interactive map of Forum Melbourne | |
| Former names | State Theatre (1920-1962) |
|---|---|
| Address | 154Flinders Street Melbourne Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°49′00″S144°58′10″E / 37.8165732°S 144.9693686°E /-37.8165732; 144.9693686 |
| Owner | Marriner Group |
| Designation | Victorian Heritage Register, Historic Buildings Register |
| Capacity | 2,000 standing (Forum 1), 520 seated (Forum 2) |
| Current use | live music, comedy, film |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 23 February 1929 |
| Years active | 1929–1985, 1995–present |
| Architect | John Eberson |
| Website | |
| forummelbourne | |
TheForum Theatre (originally theState Theatre) is a historic theatre and former cinema now used as a live music and event venue located on the corner ofFlinders Street andRussell Street inMelbourne, Australia.
Built in 1929, it was designed by leading US 'picture palace' architectJohn Eberson, in association with the local architectural firm Bohringer, Taylor & Johnson. Designed as an 'atmospheric theatre', the interior intended to evoke a Florentine walled garden, complete with a cerulean-blue ceiling sprinkled with lights like twinkling stars, mimicking a twilight sky.[1]
It was renamed theForum Theatre in 1962, converted into two separate cinemas in 1963, then after the cinemas' closure used for religious services for several years; however, since 1995, it has operated as live music and events venueForum Melbourne, more commonly known simply asThe Forum.
The sites of theMorning Post building (on Flinders Street) and State Migration Office (on Russell Street) were purchased in 1927 by Rufe Naylor, with the goal of building a sister theatre to hisEmpire in Sydney.[2] In 1928[3] the site was purchased byStuart F. Doyle, managing director ofUnion Theatres, for development as theState Theatre.
The Union's State Theatre was in competition with theHoyts'Regent Theatre, nearby in Collins Street, to be the first truly extravagant 'picture palace' in Melbourne. The State won the race after seven months’ construction time, opening on 23 February 1929, three weeks ahead of the Regent.[4] When it opened, it also had the largestseating capacity in Australia, holding 3,371 people.
Opening night was nothing less than spectacular, and presented the silent filmsThe Fleet’s In starring Miss Clara Bow, andThe Cameraman starring Buster Keaton. The first ‘talkie’ wasThe Doctor's Secret, premiering on 6 April 1929.[4]
The design features an exoticMoorish style exterior, includingminarets and aclock tower, and an auditorium designed as if it were a 'Florentine courtyard', with a curved ceiling painted dark blue. It was designed principally by US cinema specialistJohn Eberson, in association with local theatre designers Bohringer Taylor & Johnson.[5] Eberson pioneered the design of such 'atmospheric' style theatres, usually with 'courtyard' walls in elaborate eclectic Spanish Baroque / Renaisance styles, often featuring statuary, and moving clouds projected on the ceiling. Eberson also designed theCapitol Theatre in Sydney built the year before, with an interior that is almost exactly the same as Melbourne, but mirrored; they are amongst only a few atmospheric theatres built outside North America. The very elaborate Moorish / Arabic style exterior is quite rare amongst all 1920s picture palaces, with only theFox Atlanta, theAvalon Chicago and theOmaha Riviera being comparable.[6]
A dual-consoleWurlitzer organ of style 270 was installed, the first to be built 'west of Chicago', featuring 21 rows of pipes and a grand piano attachment and oboe horn.[1] The organ was opened in 1928 byFrank D. Lanterman, for two years the resident organist, withRenee Lees on the minor console.[7] It was removed from the theatre in 1963, and subsequently installed in the Moorabbin Town Hall (nowKingston City Hall) by members of the Victorian Division of theTheatre Organ Society of Australia.[8]
In 1962, the building was renamed theForum Theatre.[9]
In 1963, recognising the changing trends in attendance, cinema chainGreater Union converted now-oversized auditorium into two smaller separate cinemas. The Dress Circle balcony was blocked in, creating the upstairsRapallo Theatre (with a new entry fromRussell Street) while the Stalls level retained the Forum Theatre name and Flinders Street entry. In 1981 further renovations took place, including the renaming of the cinemas to Forum I and Forum II.[10]
In 1985 it was purchased and used byRevival Centres International, a Christian organisation, and fell into disrepair. In 1995 it was purchased byDavid Marriner's Staged Developments Australia, who redeveloped it for use as a film and concert venue operating asForum Melbourne. It became part of Marriner Group's portfolio of theatres, including Melbourne'sPrincess Theatre andRegent Theatre, and joined by theComedy Theatre in 1996.
The theatre was listed on theVictorian Heritage Register in 1978 and classified by theNational Trust of Australia in 1994.
In 2013, the Marriner Group proposed an apartment tower to be built on the adjacent site to the north which they had bought, which was 32 levels (107m) in an area where an advisory height limit of 40m applies, and which would cantilever over the stage tower of the theatre, with restoration of the facade of the Forum as part of the project. This was approved by then Planning MinisterMatthew Guy, but opposed by the City of Melbourne and local objectors, who took the matter to VCAT and won.[11] An appeal by Marriner to the Supreme Court was not successful.[12]
In early 2024, the Marriner Group applied for a permit from Heritage Victoria for urgent works because some decorative elements of the exterior were unstable and likely to fall.[13][14]
Forum I, or Forum Downstairs, is located on the ground floor and is generally used for concerts and other large-scale performances. The second-floor Forum II is a smaller 550-seat theatre-style amphitheatre.[15]
Today, it is used for concerts by many artists, having hosted performances byOne Ok Rock,Oasis,Madonna,Ozzy Osbourne,Katy Perry,Cat Power,Jarvis Cocker,Dirty Three,Sufjan Stevens,Dizzee Rascal,Tame Impala,Lily Allen, TheYeah Yeah Yeahs,Harry Styles,Noname,Mac DeMarco,Regurgitator,Methyl Ethel,Meg Mac,Bachelor Girl,Spiderbait,Alison Wonderland,Mr. Big,Extreme andLiving Colour among others.[citation needed]
In more recent times, the Forum has been used as a venue for numerous acts during theMelbourne International Comedy Festival, including local favouriteAkmal Saleh and international acts, such asMark Watson,Jason Byrne,Arj Barker andMegan Mullally among others and in September, Tyler Oakley's Slumber Party.[citation needed]
From 2009 to 2012 the Forum was the primary contemporary music venue forMelbourne Festival in expansive programs featuring scores of international and national music artists.[16] It is also a venue for the annualMelbourne International Film Festival.
In 2016, the Forum underwent a major internal renovation[17] to restore many of its original features and fixtures, including uncovering and restoring the mosaic tile entrance, remoulding and repairing statues, and moving the interior walls back to their original 1929 position.[18] The Forum officially reopened 5 September 2017.
TheMusic Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006. The award for Best Venue was introduced in 2016.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Forum Theatre | Best Venue (Over 500 Capacity) | Nominated | [19][20] |
| 2017 | Forum Theatre | Best Venue (Over 500 Capacity) | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Forum Theatre | Best Venue (Over 500 Capacity) | Won | |
| 2020 | Forum Theatre | Best Venue (Over 500 Capacity) | Won | |
| 2021 | Forum Theatre | Best Venue (Over 500 Capacity) | Nominated | [21][22] |
| 2022 | Forum Theatre | Best Large Venue (Metro) | Won | [23] |
Additional reference
Media related toForum Theatre at Wikimedia CommonsAuthority control databases: Geographic |
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