The Royal Lyceum was a small theatre in
York Street, Sydney founded in 1854, which was redeveloped and renamed many times, finally as the Queen's Theatre, by which name it closed in 1882.
History
In the late 1840s Malcom's Royal Australian Circus (later Amphitheatre) opened on the west side of
York Street, Sydney between
King and
Market streets, one door from the latter.[1] The venue specialised in equestrian displays and trick riding,[2] tightrope dancing and "Olympic games". John Malcom was the proprietor.[3]
It was refurbished and reopened in October 1854 as the Royal Lyceum Theatre,[4] perhaps named after the
theatre in Edinburgh, and frequently referred to as "the Lyceum".
Its first lessees were the American
C. R. Thorne[a] company, who were previously at the
Victoria Theatre.
Not two years later, the theatre was taken over by
W. H. Stephens and
H. T. Craven, who refurbished its interior and in July 1856 renamed it and the hotel adjacent as "Our Lyceum".[5]
Improvements included a
clerestory roof for better ventilation,
boxes that gave a better view of the stage, and an enlarged
orchestra pit.
There was however a slump in stage productions and the theatre was mostly used for public meetings.
Stephens was forced to declare insolvency.[6]
In 1866 the Lyceum, or "New Lyceum" with another renovation and new lessee
Frank Towers, was reckoned one of three or four good theatres in Sydney (along with the
Prince of Wales in
Castlereagh Street, the
Victoria Theatre in
Pitt Street and, intermittently, the
Opera House) but was "seldom open".[7]
In 1867 it became the Alexandra Hall, an assembly hall or salon de danse.[8]
In 1869 the actor
George Simms took over the lease, reopening it as the Royal Adelphi Theatre on 4 September 1869.[9] The partnership of
Harding,
Wilson and
Habbe took over as managers, renovating and decorating the interior, reopening on 27 November.[10] with
Watts Phillips' drama The Poor Strollers with
Rosa Cooper as Lady Camille.[11] Later plays included the Australian premiere of The Lancashire Lass, directed by Cooper.
In July 1877 C. Wheatleigh, took over management of the Queen's Theatre and scored several successes in Around the World in 80 days and The Shaughran.[15]L. M. Bayless followed as manager a few months later, with the
Simonsen company and the opera Giroflé-Girofla.
Licensee of the Queen's Hotel adjacent was the boxer
Larry Foley.[16]
In July 1882 the Queen's Theatre was closed by Government order, as being unsafe.
It was used by a commercial interest for some years, then demolished sometime before 1905.
The new Lyceum
On 26 December 1892 a new theatre opened between
Park and
Market streets on
Pitt Street, which was named "Lyceum", sometimes referred to as the New Lyceum, and marked the reunion of the
J. C. Williamson and
George Musgrove interests, in presenting the pantomime Little Red Riding Hood.[17]
It became a cinema, "Spencer's Pictures"[18] in 1908.
Notes
^Charles Robert Thorne (1814–1893) was husband of singer
Ann Maria Thorne née Mestayer (1813–1881)
References
^"Theatres of the Early Days". The Sydney Mail. Vol. LII, no. 1348. New South Wales, Australia. 26 January 1938. p. 52. Retrieved 3 April 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"About Circuses". The Herald (Melbourne). No. 3620. Victoria, Australia. 12 January 1892. p. 4. Retrieved 24 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Mummer Memoirs". The Sydney Sportsman. Vol. VII, no. 353. New South Wales, Australia. 1 May 1907. p. 3. Retrieved 24 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Mummer Memoirs". Sydney Sportsman. Vol. IX, no. 484. New South Wales, Australia. 13 October 1909. p. 3. Retrieved 23 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Mummer Memoirs". Sydney Sportsman. Vol. XI, no. 702. New South Wales, Australia. 4 December 1912. p. 3. Retrieved 21 July 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Sydney". Freeman's Journal. Vol. XVII, no. 1211. New South Wales, Australia. 23 June 1866. p. 396. Retrieved 22 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. LX, no. 9830. New South Wales, Australia. 23 November 1869. p. 1. Retrieved 11 July 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Amusements". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. LXVIII, no. 11, 073. New South Wales, Australia. 13 November 1873. p. 8. Retrieved 23 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Sic(k) Transit". Sydney Punch. New South Wales, Australia. 24 April 1874. p. 3. Retrieved 23 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"The Lyceum Pantomime". The Evening News. No. 7979. New South Wales, Australia. 27 December 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 19 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"An Old Sydney Playhouse". The Referee. No. 1317. New South Wales, Australia. 31 January 1912. p. 16. Retrieved 23 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.