Canberra Theatre
ABC Classic FM live concert, Canberra Theatre; Artists: dominantSEVEN; April 2007
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| Location | Canberra's City Centre |
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| Coordinates | 35°16′54″S 149°07′50″E / 35.2818°S 149.1305°ECoordinates: 35°16′54″S 149°07′50″E / 35.2818°S 149.1305°E |
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| Opened | 24 June 1965 |
| Architect | Yuncken Freeman |
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The Canberra Theatre or officially the Canberra Theatre Centre, is the Australian Capital Territory’s central performing arts venue and Australia’s first performing arts centre, the first Australian Government initiated performing arts centre to be completed. It opened on 24 June 1965 with a gala performance by the Australian Ballet.
The Centre is sited in the heart of Canberra's City Centre, beside the ACT Legislative Assembly and backing onto City Hill, one of the apexes of the Parliamentary Triangle.
Originally the complex was two separate buildings: the Canberra Theatre and The Playhouse, which were linked by a covered walkway.
The Canberra Theatre was built as a 1,200 seat lyric theatre to house national and international touring companies; The Playhouse had 310 seats and was designed for local arts companies and for smaller scale touring companies. The Playhouse also contained a small visual art gallery, a meeting room and a restaurant,
1965: The Playhouse was officially opened on 18 August 1965 with a production of Peter Ustinov’s Romanoff and Juliet, produced by the Canberra Repertory Society.
1971: The covered walkway linking the two venues was enclosed to create more foyer and function space for the Canberra Theatre and improved box office facilities.
1975: The Playhouse was given improved backstage storage space, wardrobe facilities and addition dressing rooms.
1982: The Courtyard Studio - a rehearsal room/cum 90-seat venue, administration offices, and a scene construction workshop including an electrically operated paint frame (used for painting stage set canvases), were completed. The Centre boasts one of the very few paint frames in Australia.
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