One of Newcastle’s hidden treasures today found itself the focus of an election promise.
Labor pledged $3-milllion for the overhaul of the Victoria Theatre… to help it again take centre stage, in the city’s nightlife. Read on here.
VICTORIA THEATRE TO BENEFIT FROM NSW LABOR ARTS POLICY
Member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp has announced that a Daley Labor Government will provide $3 million towards restoring the historic Victoria Theatre.
The state contribution of $3 million will go towards the $9.5 million plan to revive the Victoria Theatre as a new 1,000 seat theatre in Newcastle.
The investment would assist in reactivating the venue which hasn’t been used as a live performance venue since 1966 and was originally completed in 1891.
The Victoria Theatre was bought by Century Venues in 2015 and has been working to restore it to its former glory as a live working heritage theatre.
Century Venues has a track record of restoring and successfully running venues in Sydney like the Enmore Theatre. The company also runs the Metro Theatre, The Factory Theatre and the Sydney Comedy Store.
The contribution will be given to the theatre in a one- off grant to a public trust. This not for profit trust will hold the land and building, in perpetuity, and will be charged with returning the Victoria Theatre as a live performance and event facility for use by the people of Newcastle and the Hunter – not unlike the revived Capitol Theatre in Haymarket Sydney.
Labor believes the arts and music should be for all of NSW – and Newcastle and the Hunter should not miss out.
“With the revival of the Victoria Theatre and the proposed redevelopment of the Newcastle Art Gallery, Newcastle’s creative community is finally getting the funding that they deserve.” Tim Crakanthorp, Member for Newcastle
The Victoria Theatre Company Limited 1886-1982 unveiled
With humble thanks to Bruce Brown who uncovered these treasures and the University of Newcastle's Archive team, the complete Minute Books and a selection of other records relating to the Victoria Theatre have now been uploaded to the Hunter Living Histories site. These records have been digitised by the University of Newcastle and include hundreds and hundreds of historical pages.
They provide the wider community with an unbroken chain of internal records of the activities of The Victoria Theatre Company Limited and its shareholders from 1886-1982. Delve in and enjoy. Read on here.
Victoria Theatre no longer waiting in the wings
It’s a little known fact that Newcastle is home to the state’s oldest theatre.
The Victoria Theatre dates back to 1891… and this week marks a milestone in its restoration process, as it opens for the first time in more than 50 years. Read on here.
Newcastle's Victoria Theatre restoration to draw inspiration from Paris
The restoration of the nineteenth century Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris could provide a blueprint to restore Newcastle’s Victoria Theatre to a point where it can once again be used for public performance. Read on here.
Historical detective work helps bring the Victoria Theatre back to life in virtual reality
More than a half a century has passed since the Victoria Theatre’s doors closed.
But the curtain will rise again at the revered Newcastle venue on Tuesday night when the theatre’s glory days come to life in virtual reality. Read on here.
Go for a walk down memory lane with a tour of Newcastle's Victoria Theatre
More than 50 years after it closed its doors, Newcastle’s Victoria Theatre is once again has the hottest tickets in town. Read on here.
Virtual Reality Experience: The Victoria Theatre, Opening Night 1891
Using the latest virtual reality technology developed by the University of Newcastle, the oldest theatre in NSW is being brought back to life two generations after the Victoria closed. Be transported into the opulent and exotic interior of the late-19th century Victoria Theatre. Participants can meander through the foyers and three levels of stalls, circle and gallery before viewing the stage as it was nearly 130 years ago.
You have entered a genie’s bottle – an Aladdin’s cave.
Please join us to experience the Victoria Theatre as it would have been in 1891 but in it's present day state. Century is working hard to clean out the debris and to bring the Victoria Theatre back to life. Entry is by ticket only. There are numerous 30 minute sessions running throughout the day on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th November. Each session is for a maximum of 4 participants. To secure your tickets, visit https://www.trybooking.com/ZHDO
Former Victoria Theatre staff and performers to be VIP guests at virtual reality project launch
It has been more than half a century since Margaret Oaten stepped inside Newcastle’s Victoria Theatre in Perkins Street. Read on here.
Victoria Theatre Newcastle flythrough by University of Newcastle
Thanks to the team at the University of Newcastle, take a virtual tour through the oldest standing theatre in NSW, reveling in the beauty of the venue as it would have originally enjoyed: https://youtu.be/npyfXepVcHg
Work is nearing completion on a landmark project to recreate Newcastle's Victoria Theatre
The finishing touches are being applied to a 3D recreation of Newcastle’s famous Victoria Theatre. Read on here.
Victoria Theatre 3D Virtual Reality Reconstruction Nearing Completion
The University of Newcastle’s IT Innovation Team have just released amazing screenshots from the virtual reality model of the Victoria Theatre, under construction as at September 2018. Read on here.
University of Newcastle project brings Victoria Theatre back to life
For late nineteenth century Novocastrians the Victoria Theatre in Perkins street was the place to go to experience the city’s finest entertainment and culture. Read on here.
Behind the scenes at the Victoria Theatre
The University of Newcastle's IT Innovation Team undertook a site visit at the Victoria Theatre on 9 July 2018 as part of the research for their 3D Virtual Reality Reconstruction of the historic theatre. Gaute Rasmussen and Vendela Pento from the UON's IT Innovation Team, doing the reconstruction, were joined by Stepanie Holm (UON Victoria Theatre Researcher), Gionni Di Gravio (University Archivist) and representatives of Century Theatres including Greg Khoury and Daniel Ballantyne.
Did you know?
The Victoria Theatre was built before electricity, so for the first 50 years the performances would have been lit by limelight. Theatre technicians with very long poles with a wick on the end would come to the edge of the gallery with their lighting cue, put it into the lamp, and ignite the chemical compound in the lamp. The lamp would then glow onto the performance below. Different chemicals in the lamps would create slightly different colours. This lighting technique is the basis for the phrase “take the limelight”.
Newcastle's Victoria Theatre restoration still on track
Building reports have revealed the historic Victoria Theatre is structurally sound and has the seating capacity to be a viable venue. Read on here.
Did you know?
There have been four Victoria Theatres on three different sites in Newcastle! The first in 1857 was a timber and iron construction on the corner of Watt and Hunter Streets that soon burnt down. The second Victoria was on Market Street and it too only lasted for just a few years, 1870-72. On the current Perkins Street site the third Victoria was built in just nine weeks and opened in 1876. Described as a "wretched apology for a theatre" this building was superseded, thankfully, by the beautiful Victoria we see today when building works commenced in 1890. The Newcastle Herald said at the time, "no expense has been spared in making the theatre the most complete, comfortable, and handsome structure of its size and description in Australia…". This Victoria Theatre then underwent a major refurbishment in 1921 to ready it for motion pictures and that was when the current spectacular dress circle was extended.
UPDATE: Historic detailing revealed
This year Century Venues secured approval from the NSW Government to undertake the careful removal of waste and non-historic instrusions to enable a close inspection of the underlying historic fabric of the building. Tons of waste and 1980's partitioning have now been taken away revealing beautiful detail on the Dress Circle Juliet Balcony.
While more needs to be removed, engineer, acoustic and fire safety experts have been able to inspect the building. Preliminary reports are in and are promising. While much of the building will need upgrading, so far, no major obstacles have been identified that would prevent the Victoria from being revived as a live performance venue.
Old Dame gets a spruce up
NEWCASTLE’S historic Victoria Theatre is a step closer to being revived as a grand entertainment hub as clean up work begins on the heritage-listed site. Read on here.
Newcastle is lucky to have Greg Khoury involved in saving one of the country's most historic theatre buildings
ALL HIS WORLD'S A STAGE: Greg Khoury is charged with overseeing the restoration of the Victoria Theatre. Read on here.
