Alexandra Hall/Theatre Royal (1883 - 1916)

 In December 1881 a company was formed to build a public hall and theatre in New Plymouth.

Tenders were received in June 1882 and the successful tender for the building came from Mr William Gardiner of Ōpunake for £3,100. It appears Mr Gardiner was unable to complete the project and it fell to Messrs. Berry and Newman to finish the building. The hall was designed by New Plymouth architect, Mr Henry Edmonds.

The Alexandra Hall opened on 17 January 1883 with the Philharmonic Orchestra performing the Oratorio of Elijah. The local performers were joined by five instrumentalists from Auckland and a tenor from Nelson.  

As the Alexandra Hall it had many uses including shows run by the Northern Agriculture Association, a forerunner of the Taranaki Agricultural Society.

In August 1897 the new lessees of the hall (Messrs. Fisher and Jones) changed the name to the Theatre Royal. The first cinema screening occurred on 16 June 1910.

In the early hours of 22 July 1916 the Theatre Royal and almost all the buildings in this Devon Street West block were destroyed by a fire which began in the theatre.

Eventually the theatre was replaced by the present Opera House which was officially opened on Saturday, 28 November 1925.

Related document:

Local Study: The Change in the Cinema Industry...in New Plymouth, Nancy de Bueger, 1994. (TRCT791.43 DEB)