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amidst elaborate scroll work above both boxes. At
the Civic, Shakespeare gazes from the centre of the
proscenium and his words ‘To hold as’t were The
Mirror Up to Nature,’ flow out around it.
Beautiful though it is, the layout of the Isaac
Theatre Royal shows up the inherent weakness (for
much of the audience) of the twin balcony design:
only patrons in the first rows of the stalls, those in
the ‘golden horseshoe’ and those in the front rows of
the upper circle can see and appreciate all of the
lavish décor around them.
From the next phase of great theatre construction
the Regent Dunedin, from J.C. Williamson Ltd.,
deserves greater recognition in Australia. If the
capital city Regents of Williamson-Hoyts in
Australia were the kings of cinema style, then this
one is a true queen.
Smaller than its Australian counterparts,
Dunedin architects Miller and White mastered all
the rules for a Regent and played a riff on the style
perfected by Ballantyne and Charles Hollinshed.
Much of the plaster, the balustrades and the
craftsmanship in the back board of the last row of
the stalls, were first seen in Australia in the Regent,
South Yarra (1925) but here they are freshly
interpreted.
In the main cities the multiplex rules.
Fortunately NZ has recycled much building stock in
preference to tearing it down, and thanks to the
efforts of the evangelical churches, some fine
buildings have continued to provide audiences with
emotional involvement.
The Assembly of God, which has moved out of
the Odeon in Tuan Street Christchurch, at least
prolonged the life of a theatre with links to the
Fuller brothers, and a Save The Odeon Committee
has set out to secure its future.
The City New Life Church is restoring their
home, the former Majestic, Christchurch. With
congregations of 600 or so each service, and an
emphasis on the role of art in spirituality, their
changes are enhancing a fascinating building.
In smaller towns many theatres survive from the
days of Kerridge Odeon and the Amalgamated
Theatres chains. Usually these buildings date from
the mid-1930s and their designs reflect the
ascendancy of the art deco influence. Most are still
single screen, but in auditoriums modified for
smaller audience numbers or for a mix of live
performance and films.
On the west coast, where the livelihood for the
townsfolk is as much tourism as primary industry,
cinemas have moved boldly with the times.

Three images from top:
Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch
The complexity of detail is reserved for the stage
surrounds, not the sidewalls. Source: Mike Trickett.
Right
Familiar yet different: Rear stalls Regent, Dunedin.
Lounge patrons enter over the stalls on a
cross aisle, then ascend to the balcony.
CINEMARECORD 2006 7