Her Maj

Ballarat's Her Majesty's Theatre is one of Australia's most significant historic theatres. Built in 1875 by Sir William Clarke, Bt, it has operated continuously as a venue for live performance since then. The building encapsulates the evolution of theatre from the era of opera bouffe and melodrama to contemporary performance. Described by Ross Thorne in 1970 as the most important theatre building in Australia today, Her Majesty's was given a major renovation from 1988 to 1990, which restored many of the heritage features of the building as well as ensuring the theatre was equipped to face the future with state-of-the-art stage technology. The theatre has sustained a vibrant local theatre scene in Ballarat and has been associated with the Royal South Street Competitions since 1965. Her Majesty's is now owned and operated by the City of Ballarat. This book reviews the history of the theatre, both as a building and as a social institution, being the focus for the vigorous cultural life of one of Australia's largest and most historic provincial cities.