'The Adelaide Repertory Theatre, often called Adelaide Rep or The Rep, is an amateur theatre company in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1908. It usually presents its productions at The Arts Theatre.
History
editAdelaide Rep is the longest surviving amateur theatre company in the Southern Hemisphere,[1][2] having been set up in 1908 by students from the Elder Conservatorium.[3][4]
Since its inception, the company's venues have included:[5][6]
- Unley Town Hall
- Walkerville Hall
- Queen's Hall at 102a Grenfell Street[7] (later the Embassy Ballroom, Plaza Theatre, and Paris Cinema, before demolition[a])
- King's Theatre (built 1911, on the corner of Carrington Street and King William Street, Adelaide[11])
- Tivoli Theatre (now Her Majesty's)
- Victoria Hall, in Gawler Place
In 1963, the company built The Arts Theatre in Angas Street in the Adelaide city centre.[12] The 500-seat theatre was built for £45,000, on land bought 15 years prior by the company. It has since become a major venue for other amateur companies as well as Adelaide Fringe and other performances.[5] The first production there was the Peter Ustinov comedy, Romanoff and Juliet.[13][5]
Description
editThe company has performed at many venues around Adelaide,[4] but most are at The Arts Theatre.
The company is run by a board, as of January 2023[update] chaired by Rose Vallen.[14]
Awards
edit- 2001: Messenger Newspapers Light Year Award, for Glen Christie's performance as Norman in The Dresser
- 2001: Messenger Newspapers Theatre Awards, for Barney in Kid Stakes won Best Amateur Actor[15]
- 2006: Adelaide Critics Circle The Coopers Group Award for School for Scandal[16]
- 2006: Messenger Newspapers Light Year Award for best comedy: I Hate Hamlet[17]
- 2008: Ruby Award for Sustained Contribution by an Organisation (Arts SA)[18]
People
editNotable associates of the Theatre include:
- Roxy Byrne - actress[19]
- Frank Ford AM - Director
- Alexander Melrose - playwright[20]
- Keith Michell - Actor[4]
- Jean Robertson - actress
- Sydney Talbot Smith - Chairperson, Vice President and President at times between 1919 and 1948[21]
Footnotes
edit- ^ "The Art Deco facade was created in 1935 when it became the Embassy Ballroom."[8] It was later the Plaza Theatre, then the Paris Cinema.[9] "...now is the site of the southern entrance to Regent Arcade".[10]
References
edit- ^ Affort, T. (1995). Adelaide Repertory Theatre. In P. Parsons (General Editor), Companion to Theatre in Australia. Sydney, Currency Press, p. 11
- ^ Comans, Dr Christine A.W. (2006) La Boite's History as Doctoral Study: A Research Methodology Story. NJ Drama Australia Journal 30(2):pp. 73-82.
- ^ Geoffrey Milne, (2004), Theatre Australia (Un)limited: Australian Theatre Since the 1950s, Rodopi, p. 75, ISBN 90-420-0930-6
- ^ a b c Brissenden, Alan (25 September 2008). "Stirring the intellectual pot". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 16 October 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c "Arts Theatre a home at last in 1963 for Adelaide Repertory; used by other music/theatre groups, Fringe shows". AdelaideAZ. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "Adelaide Repertory Theatre". AusStage. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "S.A. Allgemeiner Deutscher Verein". Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. XXVI, no. 7381. South Australia. 15 June 1894. p. 3 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 10 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Queen's Hall in Grenfell Street (1933)" (photo + caption). State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "Theatres/Venues 4a: Adelaide". Australian Variety Theatre Archive. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "The Embassy Ballroom, Grenfell Street, 1935" (photo + caption). Flickr. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "Carrington Street, Adelaide (1928)" (photo + caption). State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "Adelaide's Premiere venue for award winning amateur theatre". The Arts Theatre. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "Romanoff and Juliet". AusStage. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "Board Members". The Adelaide Repertory Theatre. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ City Messenger Theatre Awards
- ^ The Awards Archived 4 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Adelaide Critics Circle. Retrieved 2007-05-19
- ^ Amateur Theatre I Hate Hamlet, Messenger Newspapers, 2006
- ^ Adelaide Repertory Theatre, Sustained contribution (organisations) 2008 Winner, Ruby Awards, ARTS SA
- ^ Roxy Byrne entry at the Australian Women’s Archives Project
- ^ Alexander Melrose entry at the Australian Dictionary of Biography
- ^ Sydney Talbot Smith entry at the Australian Dictionary of Biography
External links
edit- Official website
- Adelaide Repertory Theatre in the Adelaide Theatre Guide
- Adelaide Repertory Theatre at AusStage
- George, Bev (January 1998). "The Performing Arts Collection - The Adelaide Repertory Theatre Inc". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011.