From Heritage New Zealand, Autumn 2010

by Karen Clark

Threatened woth permanent closure, Nelson's hitoric Theatre Royal has undergone major restoration work that sets the stage for a promising future.

For more than 120 years Nelson’s Theatre Royal resonated with the sounds of drama, music and dance. It was a venue for movie screenings and boxing and wrestling competitions. The thud of fist on jaw and gasps of surprise from the audience filled the lofty auditorium. But in 2005 the oldest operating wooden theatre in Australasia fell silent when a geotechnical investigation found it to be unsafe.

However, in June it will reopen, better than ever after a $6.5 million restoration project but with its heritage core intact. Most of the building work has been completed and the fit-out will be finished over the next three months. The 350-seat auditorium is much as it has always been with its original embossed wallpaper and soaring coved ceiling but the stage, fly tower and backstage facilities have been completely rebuilt, as has the front-of-house area.

The project has been driven by the Nelson Historic Theatre Trust in consultation with the NZHPT.

NZHPT Architecture Heritage Advisor Alison Dangerfield says care has been taken to restore as much of the heritage fabric as possible and to replace only what is necessary for safety and function. She says the theatre has previously been identified for registration as a Category II historic place but hasn’t yet been formally registered. It has historical significance because of its long-term use for public events of all descriptions.

Alison herself has fond memories of the theatre’s magic; as a young girl she lived in Nelson and regularly attended pantomimes and other shows there. She remembers sitting with her sister in a packed auditorium and feeling as if she could reach out and touch the stage. She says while the Theatre Royal isn’t as large or as ornate as some other historic theatres around the country, it is one of only a few of its age and size still being used for its original purpose.

The theatre was designed by Nelson builder William Bethwaite and financed by members of two Oddfellows lodges which had meeting rooms on an adjoining property. On opening night, 18 July 1878, Nelson had a population of about 6000 and, according to the local newspaper The Colonist, 1000 people crammed into the theatre. It consisted of a two-level auditorium that originally seated 800 and a singlestorey lean-to at the rear with the backstage facilities.

It was well used in its early years for plays and concerts, dancing and marching performances and magic shows. Boxing tournaments and wrestling demonstrations, such as one previewed by The Colonist in February 1910 that promised an exciting show of “muscle culture”, were also staged. It was used for public meetings, bazaars and fairs and from 1908 movies were regularly shown there. However, as new cinemas were built in Nelson in the 1920s and ’30s, audience numbers at the theatre dropped. The 1930s’ Depression cut attendance even further and movies were discontinued in 1936.

The Nelson Repertory Society bought the theatre in 1944 – after talk of it being converted into a joinery factory – and it was to be the society’s home from then on. Other local and touring groups performed there, including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company.

By the 1970s the theatre was starting to show its age, despite various repairs having been carried out over the years. Further work was done to mark the 1978 centenary and in subsequent years, but by the 1990s it was clear a major overhaul was needed. Several restoration scenarios were considered but none got off the ground owing to a lack of funding. A $2.9 million grant in 2007 – the last made under the government’s Significant Community Based Projects Fund – breathed new life into the restoration plans.

For John Palmer, architect for the project, the restoration has been immensely rewarding but also challenging. It has nvolved some compromises. For instance, the three-storeyed addition housing the stage and backstage facilities has been built out of concrete for fire-safety reasons. The original raked stage has been replaced with a flat one to make it more functional; the sloping stage caused problems for dancers. “The way we’ve done it means it’s robust. If we had preserved the theatre just as it was, it would have been nothing more than a museum piece,” John says. Now it’s a more practical building that is comfortable for both patrons and performers, he says. Yet the part that is historically important – the auditorium – has been preserved.

The goal was to keep cosmetic work on the auditorium to a minimum. Rips in the wallpaper have been patched up but are still clearly visible. Repiling was required for safety reasons and a stronger laminated-wood floor installed but old matai floorboards that could be reused were relaid on top of the new floor.

Rebuilding was extensive in the backstage area; the labyrinth of poky rooms was gutted and replaced with a suite of dressing rooms and a stage-sized rehearsal room. A proper orchestra pit was installed – the original one was covered by a stage extension – and flood-proofing of the basement means that musicians will no longer have to perform with water lapping around their ankles during heavy rain. The antiquated fly-rigging system for the stage backdrops, which was too short and difficult to operate, was replaced with a full-sized, modern system.

Project manager Andy Ferguson of Delta Projects says one of the biggest challenges was laying the foundations for the backstage addition. Because the ground underneath was very soft, it was necessary to put in 18-metre-deep screw piles. The theatre’s front-of- house facilities were also rebuilt. The foyer was extended and the staircase leading to the auditorium’s upper floor was rotated 90 degrees to create more space. A new ticketing counter, bar and toilets were installed. The building’s façade, which had previously undergone many changes, was remodelled, with extra windows installed to open it up to the street.

During the project workers kept a sharp eye out for any historical items that might be uncovered; smokers’ pipes were discovered under the auditorium floorboards and chalk and crayon graffiti on walls in the backstage area. The plan is eventually to put such items on display.

The project received funding from various sources, including $1 million from the Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council, a $1.2 million loan from the Nelson council, $200,000 from the Canterbury Community Trust, private donations and sponsorship.

For all those involved, the completion of the venture will mark the beginning of a new era for the Theatre Royal. Nelson Historic Theatre Trust chairman Greg Shaw says he’s looking forward to seeing schoolchildren using the theatre for productions. “I think being in a proper theatre will really inspire them. To me, this is not just about saving a theatre; it’s about advancing the arts in Nelson.”