The Haymarket Theatre, or Royal Haymarket Theatre [1] was a live theatre built by George Coppin in the Haymarket district of Melbourne, Australia in 1862 and was destroyed by fire in 1871.
The theatre was built on 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) on the south side of Bourke Street, extending through to Little Collins Street, and opened in 1862. Conlan was the architect and Cornwall the builder. [2] The building incorporated the Apollo Music Hall, which opened on 5 July 1862 with a programme that featured Madame Carandini. [3]
The theatre proper was opened on 15 September 1862 with the play Our American Cousin . [1]
It was renamed the Duke of Edinburgh Theatre in January 1868 [4] in honour of the visit of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, but remained the "Haymarket", informally at least.
It was destroyed by fire on the evening of 22 September 1871. [5] The building had been closed for some months owing to a dispute between the leaseholders and the trustees.
(as Haymarket Theatre)
(as Duke of Edinburgh Theatre)
George Selth Coppin was a comic actor, a theatrical entrepreneur, a politician and a philanthropist, active in Australia.
William Mower Akhurst was an actor, journalist and playwright in Australia.
The Theatre Royal was one of the premier theatres for nearly 80 years in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 1855 to 1932. It was located at what is now 236 Bourke Street, once the heart of the city's theatre and entertainment district.
William John Wilson was a British actor and theatre scenery painter, who had a career in Australia that included theatre management.
The Prince of Wales was a theatre in Castlereagh Street, Sydney, New South Wales. It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt twice; the second time as the Theatre Royal.
Frederick Charles Appleton was an Australian actor, noted as a Shakespearean character actor, a "painstaking studious aspirant for histrionic honours", praised for his "considerable ability and tact". In 1883 he earned an academic degree and became a university lecturer, an unusual conjugation of careers, shared with H. B. Irving.
William Hoskins was a Shakespearean actor from England whose later career was mostly in Australia and New Zealand, reputedly "one of the best actors who has ever trod our stage".
Thomas Smith Bellair was an English actor who moved to Australia, where he had his own dramatic company before managing various hotels, finally settling in Wagga Wagga, where his family became prominent citizens.
John Hennings was a German-born theatrical scene painter and theatre manager active in Melbourne, Australia, from the mid-1850s to the early 1890s.
Robert Percy Whitworth was a journalist, writer, and editor active in Australia and New Zealand.
Frederick George Younge was an English comic actor, in Australia for six years.
George David Macartney was an Australian politician. He was a member for Gippsland South in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1869 to 1871 and 1877 to 1878.
George Benjamin William Lewis commonly referred to as G. B. W. Lewis, or G. B. Lewis, was an English circus performer, later a circus and theatre entrepreneur in Australia. He married in 1864 the actress and playwright Rose Edouin.
John Rodger Greville was an Irish-born comic actor, singer, songwriter and stage manager who had a long career in Australia.
Edgar Ray was an English entrepreneur who launched two magazines in Australia, Melbourne Punch and Sydney Punch. On his return to England, he is credited with founding another, named Touchstone or The New Era.
Joseph Charles Lambert, generally referred to as J. C. Lambert, was an English comic actor who had a significant career in Australia.
Henry Richard Harwood was an Australian actor and theatre manager.
The Howson family was a show-business dynasty founded in Australia, several of whose members went on to further success in America, London and Europe.
Lady Don, born Emilia Eliza "Emily" Saunders was an English singer and actor who enjoyed great popularity in Australia. She married an actor, Sir William Henry Don, Bart., who died in Hobart, Tasmania on 18 March 1862.