Regent Theatre, Grand theater in Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
The Regent Theatre is a performance hall and cinema on Collins Street in Melbourne. The entrance lobby shows Gothic elements, while the auditorium seating 2143 follows the Louis XVI style and the ballroom carries Spanish Baroque motifs.
The building opened in 1929 as a cinema and variety venue and quickly became an important performance address in the city. A major fire in 1945 destroyed the auditorium while the lobbies and stairwells survived, later integrated into the reconstruction.
The name echoes London's Regent Street and reflects Collins Street's status as the city's most fashionable address when construction began. Today theatregoers come for major musicals and experience the mix of period styles visible in walls, ceilings and staircases throughout.
Renovations completed in 2019 introduced flexible seating and leather chairs while restoring decorative plasterwork on walls and ceilings. Access is through Collins Street and the venue sits centrally in the downtown area, making it easy for visitors to arrive on foot or by public transport.
Below the main auditorium sits the Plaza Ballroom in the basement, which functions as a separate event space for concerts and receptions. This second level expands the programming options and allows parallel events to run in the same building.
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