Old Tote

The Old Tote Theatre Company (1963–1978) is a defunct NSW theatre that began as the standing acting and theatre company of Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and was the precursor to the Sydney Theatre Company. It was one of the leading Australian theatre companies of the period.

The Old Tote began in a converted tin shed on the campus of University of New South Wales in Sydney. The wood and corrugated iron building (originally an army recreation hall) became known as the "Old Tote" because it had previously been part of the group of buildings that had formerly housed the totalisator betting machine when the site had been Kensington Racecourse. The building still stands, and is now known as the Figtree Theatre.

The company was founded by the University's Professor of Drama, Robert Quentin, and NIDA Director, Tom Brown. The University contributed six thousand pounds to convert the building into a theatre and its debut production, which opened on 2 February 1963, was a highly successful production of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, starring Sophie Stewart and her husband Ellis Irving, with Gordon Chater as Yepihodov, John Bell as Trefimov and Ron Haddrick as Gayev, which ran for almost two months. This was followed by a double bill of The Bald Prima Donna and The Fire Raisers, with a cast that including Brian James, Gwen Plumb, Neil Fitzpatrick, Anna Volska and Jack Allan. Other productions in the first season included Hamlet, with John Bell in the title role, and Playboy of the Western World. The first season was an outstanding success and was extended to 28 weeks, with an average nightly capacity of 95%.

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