Copyright (1937) Ross Thorne & Kevin Cork

From:

For All The Kings Men. The Kings Theatres of Sydney, NSW.
Ross Thorne & Kevin Cork.
Australian Theatre Historical Society Inc Publication.
1994.

History of the Kings Theatre, Rose Bay North

The Kings, at the corner of Old South Head and Dudley Roads, was officially opened on Saturday, 22 June 1935. Opening attractions included Lives of a Bengal Lancer, starring Gary Cooper.

Alderman W F Foster MLA., who performed the opening ceremony, congratulated the architects and the directors.
"...such a capacious building on a comparatively small area of land. It was a fine achievement, and he felt that the theatre would be a success.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 June 1935.

Described at the time as an excellent example of designing in three dimensions” the exterior was unique for its lack of applied decoration and ornament. The main front, as it turned into Dudley Road, was designed in a post-Expressionist, post-International Style idiom, using two part cylinders of unequal radius and narrow horizontal and vertical windows in an assymetrical composition of forms. The rectangular auditorium rose above this highly curvaceous facade, but was set back so, at night, with only the facade lit, the sculptural quality would be dominant.

The larger radiused part cylinder continued the entrance vestibule with its doors sheltered by a fully-cantilevered (without suspension rods) curved awning horizontally striated in the manner of shop awnings designed by Erich Mendelsohn in Germany as far back as 1923.

The Kings sign of house style letters (with neon outline) sat on the top of the plain cement-rendered curved brick wall without frame or podium. To form a visual ‘stop’ to the horizontal window sweeping around into Dudley Street, was a vertical glass tower (of light) extending above the top of the wall.

A tiled roof was provided for the theatre, it being suggested that the local council preferred this to an iron roof. Bricks were used for all exterior walls. The rear and side walls, observable from adjacent streets, were cement rendered and given a small amount of decoration. The designer was Guy Crick and the builder was C C Gray Ltd.

In the larger of the two circular sections was the vestibule that contained a central ticket box and two sets of stairs. One flight led down to the stalls and the other led upwards to the dress circle foyer.
"The point that first strikes the architect on entering ... is the introduction of streamlining to theatre design, by which is meant the convergence of all main decorative lines to the focal point of the screen. Add to this the simplicity of the decoration and the beautiful lighting effects to obtain some idea of the new King’s. .
“The auditorium, which is designed to accommodate 700, curves gently inwards towards the proscenium, while the ceiling which is practically plain with the exception of a central motif that runs right from the top of the proscenium and along the centre of the theatre, steps up in a series of gentle curves over the circle. The treatment of the wall surfaces is particularly attractive, being a species of textured finish which has been specifically thought out to provide the best effects under the strip lighting that runs along on both sides of the theatre in a concealed channel.”

Another interesting feature of the theatre is that all windows are fitted with light­proof louvres so that during matinee performances it is not necessary to close the windows, but full natural ventilation is continuously maintained, which is an excellent innovation from a health standpoint.” (Building, 12 August 1935)

While the exterior was quite avant garde for Australia at the time, the interior was still decorated, but only partly, in motifs that are recognisably Art Deco (such as the ticket box grille). Most appear to have been designed especially for the theatre. The side walls appear to be framed in a typical picture-frame mould, considerably enlarged, while the sides of the proscenium are framed by banded drums. The side window covers and central ceiling roof-vent (running lengthwise to the proscenium) are striated in bands of varying widths heralding the more Expressionistic Moderne style to come in popular Australian architecture.

Seating in 1937 was 660. It was owned and operated by Better Theatres Pty Ltd from 1935 until 1941 when the company went into voluntary liquidation (being wound-up in 1943). In March 1939, the theatre was leased to Mr E Smythe (a theatre operator). In 1941 the property was transferred to W J Dunlop and, in that same year, Mr E Smythe had plans drawn to increase seating to 710. He proposed to remove the projection box and lift portion of the circle roof. Wartime building restrictions would not allow the alterations.

In July 1947, the property was transferred to A A Coroneo and P C Sourry who exhibited under the name of Dover Theatres Pty Ltd. A new Brakellite screen was installed in 1951, then a new wide screen and rust-coloured curtains in January 1955. Seating by that time was 446 in the stalls and 208 in the circle.

Kings Theatre, North Rose Bay, mid-1950's, with its Kytherian owners

Kings Theatre development, with Coles supermarket, May 2006

One of Sydney’s early closures after the introduction of television, the Kings closed on Friday, 17 October 1958. These Wilder Years and Under Fire were the final films.

The building was sold in November 1958 to T I Mills and E A Mills and the theatre was remodelled to suit the needs of its new occupants Boyce Bros and Boyce Pty Ltd (ladies’ clothing manufacturer). All theatre equipment was disposed of and the auditorium was reconstructed to form a raw goods store and finished article packing space. It was officially gazetted as no longer a place of public entertainment on 5 February 1960. In more recent years, the former stalls area has been used for a greengrocery. Fortunately, the exterior remains virtually unaltered.

Now, nearly sixty years after its construction, its external appearance still sets it apart from its surroundings.