Princess Theatre, Victorian-era theatre in Spring Street, Melbourne, Australia
Princess Theatre is a performance venue with 1452 seats located on Spring Street in Melbourne, Australia, known for its Second Empire facade and richly decorated interiors. The auditorium rises in several tiers, all facing the large stage framed by its historic proscenium arch.
The site began as Astley's Amphitheatre in 1854, serving audiences drawn to Melbourne during the gold rush. The current building was completed in 1886 and has operated continuously as a performance hall ever since.
The name Princess's dates from the 1857 reopening; the simpler Princess Theatre was adopted with the 1886 rebuild. The wintergardens added in 1901 hold Art Nouveau stained glass showing classical composers, and Francis Thring's initials FT are carved over the proscenium arch.
The theatre stands on Spring Street in the East End Theatre District, its entrance marked by the copper awning added in 1922. The auditorium holds 1452 seats across several tiers, so seats further back give a fuller view of the proscenium arch. The sliding ceiling was designed to be rolled back on warm nights.
The architects installed a sliding roof mechanism in 1886 that could be opened on warm evenings. This engineering solution provided air circulation before electric cooling systems existed and showed the ingenuity of the period.
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