If you look across the street, you’ll spot a building with bold red vertical panels and a dramatic mask right above its sign-the Playhouse Theatre boldly stands out next to the modern glass and concrete towers surrounding it.
Now, imagine it’s a cool evening in the 1960s, and crowds are excitedly pouring through these doors in their best attire, eager to grab a seat in the 700-strong auditorium that’s buzzing with anticipation. The Playhouse Theatre, purpose-built for live productions in 1956, was born out of a pure love of the stage-because, let’s be honest, His Majesty’s Theatre at the time felt a bit like performing Hamlet in an empty football stadium!
A handful of drama enthusiasts, known as the Repertory Club, kicked things off way back in 1919. Picture these plucky folks taking over whatever space they could find, from the Palace Hotel’s basement to a cozy cottage, always dreaming of a place to truly call their own-a “real” playhouse. When fundraising finally hit its mark in the ’50s, a legendary landmark rose right here, next to the hallowed grounds of St George’s Cathedral. Oddly enough, the site used to be the Deanery tennis court-so I guess you could say the first acts on this spot involved a lot of good serves and surprisingly few soliloquies!
Walking into the Playhouse, you’d find a brightly colored mural from the bold architect Iwan Iwanoff staring you down in the lobby, while inside, the traditional raked auditorium (that’s seats sloping upward like a gentle rollercoaster) gave everyone a perfect view of the stage. Over the years, this theatre was home to two giants-the National Theatre Company, then the Western Australian Theatre Company. Some of the grandest drama in the southern hemisphere graced these boards: from Dorothy Hewett’s The Man from Muckinupin defying government frowns during the state’s 150th birthday, to sparkling visiting stars like Honor Blackman and Timothy West adding a touch of celebrity dazzle.
Of course, behind those curtains wasn’t always glamour and thunderous applause; after the roaring success of the late ’70s, times got tough. Even a snazzy renovation in the early ’80s couldn’t stop the National Theatre from closing shop. The Playhouse then became a bit of a shape-shifter, with new names and new faces-the Threshold Theatre, the XYZ Theatre Company, all trying to keep the spotlight burning.
Yet for generations, this place remained Perth’s beating theatrical heart, local laughter and applause almost lifting the roof (and, if you ever saw “Puss in Boots” here during the grand finale, maybe a few children’s shrieks too). It all came to a bittersweet close when the theatre was finally replaced in 2011, its curtain falling for good with the demolition in 2012, paving the way for new dreams in Cathedral Square.
If you listen closely, you can almost imagine the sounds of stagehands bustling, actors reciting under their breath, and an audience holding its breath, waiting for the magic to begin. The Playhouse may be gone, but for over fifty years, it was the heart of Perth’s drama scene-sometimes tragic, sometimes comic, and always vibrant.
