Odeon Theatre, Performance venue in central Hobart, Australia
The Odeon Theatre is a former cinema and live entertainment venue on the corner of Liverpool and Watchorn streets in Hobart. Its 1916 Federation Free Classical facade, hidden under 1950s cladding, had a checkered parapet, composite order pilasters, decorative cornices, leadlight windows and wrought iron lanterns. The auditorium seated 1,200 people, with a Tasmanian Blackwood staircase and dress circle.
The building opened in 1916 as the Strand Theatre and was Tasmania's first cinema equipped with a Wurlitzer organ. The space later transitioned from film screenings to become a recording facility and subsequently a concert hall for contemporary performances.
The Odeon takes its name from the 1956 rebranding by Greater Union, when the Strand was clad in a modernist facade and promoted as "The Theatre of Tomorrow". From 1973 to 2001 it served as home to the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, which broadcast and recorded there; Judith Durham and Ron Edgeworth recorded The Hot Jazz Duo in 1978. Today it hosts events curated for the MONA FOMA and Dark Mofo festivals.
The theater sits at the corner of Liverpool Street and Watchorn Street in the city center and is easy to reach on foot. Visitors should check ahead for current events, as the program changes throughout the year.
The venue was one of Australia's earliest cinemas to install advanced electrical ticketing machines and projection equipment imported from Britain. These technical innovations set new standards for entertainment facilities at the time and positioned it as a pioneer in the industry.
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