Natalie Bassingthwaighte attends Theatre Royal Sydney unveiling
The Theatre Royal Sydney is finally set to reopen after five years as live shows return to the city following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Confidential
Don't miss out on the headlines from Confidential. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The curtain is finally set to rise again at the iconic Theatre Royal Sydney as live shows return to the city after a devastating year for the arts sector.
Doors will reopen to the public for the first time in five-years on Thursday with the reopening of Grammy and Tony Award winning Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill.
The show’s leading actor, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, attended Monday’s unveiling of the refurbished 1200-seat venue, which is regarded as one of Australia’s oldest theatre institutions.
“I was pinching myself out front,” she said. “Obviously the vision of this theatre looks spectacular but knowing what it’s doing for our industry and for the people that are desperate to immerse themselves in theatre and feel again and laugh and cry again, it’s wonderful to be a part of that.”
Recent high school graduate, Emily Nkomo, 19, is thrilled to be making her theatre debut at the iconic venue where her co-star Bassingthwaighte got her start 23 years ago.
“I’m more excited now,” she said. “In rehearsals I was getting a bit nervous but now that I’m on stage in my costume and makeup I’m way more excited.”
Built in 1976, the Harry Seidler-designed venue is regarded as a key part of Sydney’s cultural heritage.
Its refurbishment is part of a $170 million redevelopment to improve the retail, dining and theatre components of Sydney’s MLC Centre.
Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin said the reopening is a significant step towards rebuilding Sydney’s theatre scene after many shows were cancelled and performers were left out of work last year during the pandemic.
“It’s great to have the Theatre Royal back thanks to the leadership shown by the NSW State Government. Our partners Trafalgar Entertainment and Dexus have done great work getting it ready to open. This marks an important step forward for Sydney’s theatre scene, and brings life back to the centre of the city after the challenges of the last few years,” Harwin said.
“The redeveloped Theatre Royal increases Sydney’s capacity to host new productions and compete on the world-stage for more first-run international shows, ensuring high-quality productions well into the future.”
Various stars including Mel Gibson have graced the stage at Theatre Royal over the years.
International live entertainment company Trafalgar Entertainment (TE), co-founded by Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire in 2017, are the new operators of the venue.
$14k a clip: NSW YouTube stars making more than you
YouTube stars in NSW are raking in thousands of dollars per video but it’s what they do in their clips that will drive traditional workers mad. Check out the rich list.
Glamming it up for a return to the racecourse
The first official racing carnival featuring the new $46.6m WINX stand at Randwick Racecourse is kicking off, with model and new mum Ksenija Lukich among those dressing up for the occasion.