His Majesty's Theatre, Western Australia
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| Address | 825 Hay Street Perth Australia |
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| Coordinates | 31°57′10″S 115°51′16″E / 31.95291°S 115.85458°E |
| Owner | Government of Western Australia |
| Capacity | 1263 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 24 December 1904 |
| Architect | William G. Wolfe |
| Website | |
| www.hismajestystheatre.com.au | |
His Majesty's Theatre is an Edwardian Baroque theatre in Perth, Western Australia. Constructed from 1902 to 1904 during a period of great growth for the town, the theatre is located on the corner of Hay Street and King Street in Perth's central business district.
At the time the theatre was opened, it was the largest theatre in Australia, and had seating for over 2,500 people. It is also thought to be the first reinforced concrete building constructed in Perth.
Over its life, the theatre has hosted large-scale musicals, ballet, opera, Shakespearean plays and many other events. It has been renovated numerous times, most notably in the late 1970s when the State Government purchased it and performed an ornamental restoration whilst modernising the facilities provided. Since that time, it has been the home of the West Australian Ballet and West Australian Opera companies, both of which perform regularly.
The importance of His Majesty's Theatre to the cultural fabric of Western Australia has been recognised by its inclusion on the State Register of Heritage Places and the Register of the National Estate. It has also been named a "State Heritage Icon", and is believed to be the only remaining working Edwardian theatre in Australia.
At the turn of the 20th century, Perth was experiencing a period of high growth as a result of the Western Australian gold rush. The prosperity which resulted from this boom led to the construction of increasingly opulent baroque buildings. Local politician Thomas Molloy had commissioned the Metropole Hotel in 1896 and adjoining 1200-seat Theatre Royal in 1897, which included the first fully equipped theatre in the growing town. Soon after the completion of that complex, Molloy asked the same architect, William G. Wolf, to design an integrated theatre and hotel complex to be named His Majesty's Theatre and Hotel in honour of the recently crowned King Edward VII. The site selected for this new theatre was the corner of King Street and Hay Street, which in 1896 had been home to "Ye Olde Englishe Faire". In June 1902, Molloy applied to the Perth Licensing Court for planning permission to construct the theatre, and when he finally received permission, he promised completion within a year.
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