St James' Hall, Sydney

St James' Hall, sometimes written as St James's Hall, was a building which stood at 171 Phillip Street, Sydney, near King Street. It figured prominently in the history of small theatre in Australia. Owned by, and on the same parcel of land as St James' Church of England, it was close to tram and bus services and the St James railway station.

With its location and modest size and rent, it was the venue of choice for concerts and recitals by the likes of Brunton Gibb, Ethel Lang, Lindley Evans, Idwal Jenkins and Wilfred Thomas.

In 1950, the Workers' Educational Association was offered lease of the hall and the State government agreed to increase the organisation's subsidy by ₤A770pa. But it was rather dilapidated and needed around ₤A7000 spent on refitting and refurbishment. ₤4000 of this was to be raised from its members for provision of offices, lecture rooms and a bookshop and ₤A3000 to fit out the theatre (mostly for seats and lighting) and to be raised from the theatre-going public. An appeal was instigated with assistance of the Sydney Morning Herald. After delays which forced the postponement of the first major function, a play by Sydney University Dramatic Society opened on 15 July. The WEA moved its headquarters from Albert Street late in September.

It held 300 seats with a narrow (just three deep) gallery around three walls. Before 1940 it was mostly used by amateur dramatic societies, but also for public meetings, symposia, receptions, competitions, examinations and public lectures.

The Sydney Players Club (interchangeably called "Players Club") was the chief user of the hall between 1931 and 1948. The oldest of Sydney's "little theatres", it was founded by W. F. Jackson, S. R. Irving, Winchester Ford and other members of Gregan McMahon's Sydney Repertory Theatre after that group disbanded. Alice Gould was its secretary for many years.

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