Theatre Royal, Melbourne

History

The Theatre Royal was built on the north side of Bourke Street in 1855 by John Melton Black. It was capable of holding 3300 people and was comparable in size to London's Drury Lane and Convent Garden theatres. The opening production was Richard Sheridan's The School for Scandal. Although described as a "magnificent theatre", the £60,000 cost of the theatre's construction ultimately bankrupted Black.

In 1872, the theatre burned down but was rebuilt seating 4,000 people. It was remodelled in 1904 and demolished in 1933 to be replaced by Manton's department store and then later by Coles and Target.