State Theatre, Historic theatre in Sydney CBD, Australia

The State Theatre is a 2,034-seat theatre at 47–51 Market Street, designed by Henry Eli White with John Eberson and built 1926–1929. Its Gothic-style street facade fronts a late Gothic lobby with fan vaulting, a Neoclassical domed stair hall, and a Baroque auditorium with a coffered domed ceiling. The interior hall has gold-toned vaulting, dark wood panelling, mirrors, and golden statues in alcoves flanking a red-curtained doorway.

Henry White designed the building, which opened in 1929 as a cinema and variety house. Construction was completed despite the onset of the Great Depression, allowing the venue to become a refuge for local audiences during the difficult years of the 1930s.

The name comes from Union Theatres, the chain whose owner Stuart Doyle built it as the flagship of his circuit. The interior mixes styles: a late Gothic street lobby with fan vaulting, a Neoclassical domed stairhall, and a Baroque auditorium under a coffered dome. In the hall, two golden statues stand in alcoves flanking a red-curtained doorway, with a framed painting above it.

The main entrance sits on Market Street near George Street in the city center. The building offers wheelchair-accessible routes, and the large auditorium provides seating for over 2,000 people across different sections.

The State Theatre was the only theatre in Australia and New Zealand with a fly-tower stage, letting curtains and sets be raised out of sight above the performers. White also removed all columns supporting the balconies, a first for a theatre of this size. The building stands on the site of the former Evening News offices.