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Behind it the act drop was painted In its nearly sixty-year history, the Both theatres showed films. The
to represent a lace curtain with a central Bijou housed an amazing variety of Bijou was the first live theatre in the
medallion in which the figure of entertainment; from grand and light city to do so on a regular basis, in
Comedy was seen banishing opera to American burlesque; from competition with Hoyts at St. Georges
Melancholy. These figures were painted Shakespearean drama to modern Hall across the road. It was at the
by Tom Roberts. (3) comedy; from scholarly lectures to Gaiety that the popular and much
The origin of the Gaiety was the humourous ones (Mark Twain), to the respected projectionist Albert Wright
Dining and Banquet Hall of the Palace earnest efforts of students and amateur (Auditorium, Capitol and Palais
hotel. At the celebration for the opening repertory companies. Harry Rickards St. Kilda) began his career as a junior
of the hotel in 1888, 400 guests were leased the theatre for his vaudeville projectionist. (For more on the film
dined and entertained. In 1890 when the companies (1899-1901) during the years see The Fuller Influence,
demand for theatre was assessed to be rebuilding of the Opera House (later CinemaRecord 44.)
more profitable than catering on a grand the Tivoli). For older Melburnians, the By the early thirties the best days of
scale, (the hotel had other dining areas) name Bijou evokes the earthy days of the hotel and the theatres were over.
the Hall was converted into the Palace Australian vaudeville, when Stiffy and When it was open, the mix at the Bijou
Hall of Varieties, and soon renamed the Mo, George Wallace and Jim Gerald now included boxing, gymnastic
Gaiety Theatre. A new stage, built into made it their home. (5) displays and amateur theatre.
the former kitchens, now faced towards Neither theatre was equipped with Condemned as a fire hazard, the Fullers
Little Collins Street. The theatre was stage facilities on the scale of the considered a total re-build - hotel and
given a horse-shoe gallery and seated Princess or the Theatre Royal. The theatres - but the times were against
1,400 people. choice of entertainments matched the grandiose plans. On 1 February 1934
Reviews of the Gaiety vaudeville facilities. The plays presented by Robert demolition work began.
programs show that this theatre also Brough and Dion Boucicault (the The site remained a crater until
enjoyed a strong following. When Brough-Boucicault Company) from 1940. Years of looking at a waste-land
Joseph Brennan became lessee in about 1887 brought prestige to the Bijou, seems to have had the same effect on
1910, one paper claimed that it was while Mr. Slade Murray’s Burlesque Melburnians as the 1970s wrangling
crowding at the Gaiety which prompted Co. was equally well received at the over the form for the City Square. The
him to build Brennan’s National Gaiety. gaping hole elicited letters to the papers,
Amphitheatre (later the Later the distinctions were blurred. a lament for the tearing at the fabric of
National/Palace) at the top of Bourke In 1912 for example, before the Fuller the city. Photographer Lyle Fowler, a
Street. (4) Soon both theatre were running Bros. took control, there was a Bathing specialist in theatre work, covered some
vaudeville. Beauty Contest at the Bijou and stages of the demolition. Len Annois,
‘Amateur trials every Friday evening’ at possibly remembering the scene from
the Gaiety.

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