Capitol Theatre, Haymarket

Contact:
Capitol Theatre, Haymarket - 0293205000

The Capitol Theatre’s history as a space for musicals and theatre productions began in 1893 when the Belmore Markets were built on what is now the site of the Capitol Theatre. Used on Saturday nights for amateur theatre and circus cabaret performances, the dawn of Sydney’s premier Musical Theatre stage was being heralded. After several more incarnations in various performing arts styles, The Capitol as we would recognise it today had its grand debut in 1928. It’s beguiling melding of Florentine and Grecian style architecture - replete with twinkling night sky in the 2,999 seat auditorium – was a breathtakingly lavish addition to the Sydney theatre scene.

However these halcyon days were not to last for the Capitol as it spiralled from these initial high brow intentions into mainstream film screenings and at its lowest ebb was used by Hoyts for screening sexploitation films in the 1970s. Finally recognised for its heritage value, the 1980s saw the Capitol rescued from potential demolition and restored to its former byzantine glory.

Today The Capitol Theatre holds reign as the leading Musical Theatre venue in Sydney, hosting such world-renowned productions as ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Miss Saigon’ to the recent spectaculars such as ‘Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake’ and ‘Barry Humphries - Back with a Vengence’.