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The proscenium from the circle c. 1930
It is said that the film showings ran to a tight that city is amongst those reconstructed for a The Sydney Morning Herald reported:
schedule. After a reel was run through in the picture show by Union Theatres Ltd. The
downstairs theatre, it was rushed upstairs by a alterations include the provision of more “RECONSTRUCTED – TIVOLI THEATRE,
boy. When part-talkies were introduced, both seating accommodation at the expense of the BRISBANE
film and records were dispatched in this stage, which is being narrowed to something An interesting alteration has just been
manner. Sometimes in his eagerness a boy like 16 feet. The proscenium was taken out and completed at the Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane,
runner would trip and break the record, a new one put in, the old gallery and circle consisting of a roof garden theatre on top of an
resulting in that particular reel being shown removed and a new circle installed. These orthodox theatre. Both theatres are used for
silent in the upstairs Roof Garden. alterations allow for six more rows of stalls. picture presentation but it was considered that
The six side exits lead into side corridors. The the lower theatre, which consisted of stalls,
The Tivoli and Roof Garden were certainly floor has been relaid throughout and the circle and gallery, was not altogether suitable
the most popular venues in Brisbane at this vestibule practically reconstructed; the old for motion picture entertainments. Accordingly
time. The Regent and Metro had yet to be built. office and staircase being removed and new Haymarket’s Tivoli Theatres Ltd,
The Empire was primarily low grade ones constructed. commissioned Messrs Kaberry and Chard,
vaudeville and His Majesty’s Theatre had a architects of Sydney, to design a modern
mixture of plays, opera, vaudeville and movies. “In planning the section of a theatre intended reconstruction for the purpose, and this was
In 1924, the huge Wintergarden Theatre was to be used for cinematograph pictures, a certain done by removing the old gallery and dress
built, a 2000 seat majestic theatre in the picture amount of compromise is essential. The circle and substituting one large dress circle.
palace style and this was the Tivoli’s main projection apparatus is here located at the rear At the same time the old boxes were demolished
competitor until the end of the 1920s. and above the gallery. To avoid minor and the proscenium removed, necessitating
distortions, the screen should be erected some fine steel construction to support the roof
By 1927, the owners, Haymarket Theatres Ltd, perpendicular to the optical axis of the garden stage above. This circle permitted of
were part of the vast Union Theatres circuit, projector lens. Yet the necessity of giving a fair new and larger foyers and a general
and the decision to substantially alter the Tivoli view of the screen to both gallery and ground remodelling of the vestibule and stairways.
was probably due to the latter providing the floor seats requires some sort of compromise With a modern lighting scheme, and entirely
finance. The sightlines had to be altered for the in the slope of the screen. Incidentally, the new decorative treatment, the theatre has been
showing of films, and the two galleries, having uppermost portion of the screen here appears transformed completely.”
been built for vaudeville, had poor sightlines. to be hidden from the rear of the ground floor
The auditorium of the Tivoli itself was (stalls) by the cantilever gallery.” The cost of the alterations was £40,000. Seating
completely gutted, the two galleries removed capacity at the Tivoli was now 1400, with the
and replaced by one large dress circle. Architects for the remodelling were Kaberry unaltered Roof Garden Theatre holding 1055
and Chard in association with Brisbane on its one sloping level. The auditorium of the
Building magazine described the remodelling, architect, Richard Gailey. During this period of new Tivoli was in a fine classical style, with an
“The theatre business in Australia would seem around nine months, the Roof Garden Theatre enormous proscenium arch which literally went
to be booming, for not only are new theatres continued to operate. Some minor alterations from wall to wall, itself flanked by large
being built in all the eastern cities and suburbs, were made to the façade, mainly to the front-of- columns in Roman style that gave the theatre a
but the old ones are being remodelled. house. distinct cathedral effect. The ceiling was quite
Naturally Brisbane shares in this branch of ornamented, topped by a massive dome-like
building activity and the old Tivoli Theatre in light fitting from which hung a chandelier. The

8 CINEMARECORD # 96