Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Encyclopedia
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre
Queensland Cultural Centre
The Queensland Cultural Centre is a multi-venue centre located at South Bank, Brisbane, capital city of Queensland. It consists of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre , the Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland , the Queensland Art Gallery and the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art...

 and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

's South Bank
South Bank, Queensland
South Bank is a cultural, educational and recreational precinct in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The precinct is located in the suburb of South Brisbane, on the southern bank of the Brisbane River.-South Bank Parklands:...

 precinct.

QPAC was designed by local architect Robin Gibson in the mid-1970s, after State Cabinet formally recognised in 1972 the need for a new Queensland Art Gallery and a new major Performing Arts Complex, in addition to a new location for the Queensland Museum and State Library. It was opened by HRH
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...

 The Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
The Duke of Kent graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 29 July 1955 as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys, the beginning of a military career that would last over 20 years. He was promoted to captain on 29 July 1961. The Duke of Kent saw service in Hong Kong from 1962–63...

 in 1985.

Historical background

QPAC was constructed in 1985, however the location had been culturally significant for some time before this due to the presence of the Cremorne Theatre.

Originally an open-air structure with seating for about 1,800, the Cremorne Theatre was located on Stanley Street
Stanley Street, Brisbane
Stanley Street is a major street in Brisbane, Queensland. It caries the designation state route 41 for the entirety of its length and state route 10 between the Vulture Street and Annerley Road intersections. For the majority of its length the road is a one-way carriageway. The route is a major...

, South Brisbane, between Peel and Melbourne Streets, close to the point where the Victoria Bridge
Victoria Bridge, Brisbane
The Victoria Bridge is a vehicular and pedestrian bridge over the Brisbane River. The current bridge, opened in 1969, is the third permanent crossing erected at this location...

 crossed the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...

 from the city.

It opened on 5 August 1911 with a light program of music and sketches under the title "The Dandies." The newspaper, The Brisbane Courier
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...

, reported:
"...the goodly number of patrons present noted with satisfaction this well arranged auditorium, the whole place, upon which the title of 'Cremorne' has been bestowed, wearing an air of neatness, brightness and comfort."


Brisbane's subtropical climate meant that the theatre's use was frequently interrupted by rainfall and it was closed temporarily in 1917 while weatherproof awnings were erected.

The theatre was first leased and then owned and operated by John Neil McCallum, the father of Australian actor, John McCallum
John McCallum (actor)
John Neil McCallum, AO, CBE was an Australian theatre and film actor. He was also a television producer.McCallum was born in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1918, son of theatre owner and entrepreneur John Neil McCallum Sr., who built and for many years ran the 2,000 seat Cremorne Theatre on the banks of...

. During those first ten years it was used mostly for vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...

 and variety shows, and for occasional drama productions with limited success.

In 1926, the theatre was leased by Greater Brisbane Amusements and a new ceiling and seating was installed in July of that year. It continued to prosper on and off; but by 1929 it was closed, being used only for meetings and the occasional amateur theatre production. During the early 1930s, the Brisbane Arts Theatre
Brisbane Arts Theatre
The Brisbane Arts Theatre is the oldest surviving community theatre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It has existed for nearly seventy-five years. It once received funding from the Queensland state government. This ceased under the Goss Labor government. Since then it has operated without any...

, the Brisbane Comic Opera and the Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society used it either as rehearsal space or for the staging of their productions.

In 1934 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...

 converted the building into a cinema by installing a new proscenium, a screen, a new sound system, and by reducing the size of the auditorium down to 1,300. This use continued until 1940 when it returned to the presentation of vaudeville, becoming the regular venue for Brisbane appearances by artists touring Australia for Tivoli Circuit
Tivoli circuit
The Tivoli Circuit was a successful and popular Australian entertainment circuit which flourished from 1893 and the 1950s. The circuit suffered a catastrophic decline in popularity after the introduction of television in Australia in 1956, and the last Tivoli show was staged in 1966.-History:The...

, a national entertainment entrepreneur.

Then in 1943, the lease was taken over by Will Mahoney and his wife, American entertainer Evie Hayes, together with American businessman Bob Geraghty. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 the Cremorne became a popular entertainment venue for Australian and American servicemen on leave. Mahoney and Hayes appeared on stage regularly along with leading artists like comedian Roy Rene
Roy Rene
Roy Rene , born Harry van der Sluys, was an Australian comedian and vaudevillian. As the bawdy character Mo McCackie, Rene was one of the most well-known and successful Australian comedians of the 20th century. Roy Rene was born in Adelaide in the 15 of February 1892 with the name Harry van der...

http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A110370b.htm, actor and comedian George Wallace
George Wallace
George Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...

http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A160562b.htm, actor, stuntman and circus performer Jim Gerald
Jim Gerald
James Gerald was an Australian comedian, was born on 2 January 1891 at Darlington, Sydney, seventh son of Stephen Australia Fitzgerald, a cutter who became an actor, and his wife Mary Ann, née Ingram. A nephew of J. D...

http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A140296b.htm, singer Olga Vernon, comedian Buster Fiddesshttp://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn346638, vaudevillian Peggy Mortimer, actor and entertainer Morry Barling, Ron and Iris Shand both actors and versatile stage performers, and chatting cartoonist "Inky" Williams. The Cremorne Ballet, a female dance group who presented a slightly 'naughty' act, commanded a good following both with local and visiting men.

After the War, the Cremorne's role faded despite occasional professional use. From 1949 onwards, local groups used it for productions. In particular, The Brisbane Opera Society and the Theatre Guild of Queensland appeared there regularly.

By mid-1952 the building had been converted for use as offices and storage facilities for film distribution companies. It burnt down in 1954 and was never rebuilt.

Performance spaces

  • The Lyric Theatre is a proscenium
    Proscenium
    A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...

     theatre and is the largest venue in QPAC, with a seating capacity of approximately 2,000. It is Brisbane's main venue for musicals
    Musical theatre
    Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...

    , opera
    Opera
    Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

    s and ballet
    Ballet
    Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

    s. The premiere production at the Lyric Theatre was La belle Hélène
    La belle Hélène
    La belle Hélène , opéra bouffe in three acts, is an operetta by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy...

    . Opera Queensland
    Opera Queensland
    Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981, then under the name Lyric Opera of Queensland, after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in December 1980.It is after Opera Australia the second...

     is the resident organisation of the Lyric Theatre.

  • The Concert Hall is the second largest venue in QPAC, with a seating capacity of approximately 1,600 (1,800 if the choir balcony seats are used). It is Brisbane's main venue for orchestral performances although it is also used for comedy performances, graduation ceremonies and awards presentations. The venue features a 6,566 pipe Klaisorgan
    Pipe organ
    The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...

     which was built in 1986. The Queensland Symphony Orchestra
    Queensland Symphony Orchestra
    The Queensland Symphony Orchestra is an Australian orchestra, based principally in Brisbane in the state of Queensland.The QSO played its first concert on 26 March 1947, with the orchestra consisting of 45 musicians, conducted by Percy Code. John Farnsworth Hall was recruited from the Sydney...

     is the resident organisation of the Concert Hall.

  • The Playhouse is a proscenium
    Proscenium
    A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...

     theatre and is the third largest venue in QPAC, with a seating capacity of approximately 850. The venue was constructed in 1997 and its premiere production was The Marriage of Figaro
    The Marriage of Figaro (play)
    The Marriage of Figaro ) is a comedy in five acts, written in 1778 by Pierre Beaumarchais. This play is the second installment in the Figaro Trilogy, preceded by The Barber of Seville and followed by The Guilty Mother. The Barber begins the story with a simple love triangle in which the Count has...

    in September 1998. The Queensland Ballet
    Queensland Ballet
    The Queensland Ballet, founded in 1960 by Charles Lisner OBE, is the premier ballet company of Queensland, Australia, and is based in Brisbane.- About Queensland Ballet :...

     is the resident organisation of the Playhouse.

  • The Cremorne Theatre is the fourth largest venue in QPAC with a capacity of 200 to 300 depending on its configuration. It is a reconfigurable performance space with six configurations (proscenium, theatre-in-the-round, concert, cabaret, cinema or flat floor). The Queensland Theatre Company
    Queensland Theatre Company
    The Queensland Theatre Company was established in 1970 as the Royal Queensland Theatre Company. The Company is the state's flagship professional theatre company, headed up by multi-award winning playwright and director Wesley Enoch...

     is the resident organisation of the Cremorne Theatre.
    Name Capacity Resident Organisation Main Performances
    Lyric Theatre 2,000 Opera Queensland
    Opera Queensland
    Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981, then under the name Lyric Opera of Queensland, after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in December 1980.It is after Opera Australia the second...

     
  • Musical
  • Opera
  • Ballet
  • Concert Hall 1,600–1,800 Queensland Symphony Orchestra
    Queensland Symphony Orchestra
    The Queensland Symphony Orchestra is an Australian orchestra, based principally in Brisbane in the state of Queensland.The QSO played its first concert on 26 March 1947, with the orchestra consisting of 45 musicians, conducted by Percy Code. John Farnsworth Hall was recruited from the Sydney...


    • Orchesta
    Playhouse 850 Queensland Ballet
    Queensland Ballet
    The Queensland Ballet, founded in 1960 by Charles Lisner OBE, is the premier ballet company of Queensland, Australia, and is based in Brisbane.- About Queensland Ballet :...

  • Theatre
  • Ballet
  • Cremorne Theatre 200–300 Queensland Theatre Company
    Queensland Theatre Company
    The Queensland Theatre Company was established in 1970 as the Royal Queensland Theatre Company. The Company is the state's flagship professional theatre company, headed up by multi-award winning playwright and director Wesley Enoch...

     
  • Theatre
  • Comedy
  • Cabaret

Associated organisations

Groups which have programs at QPAC include:
  • Opera Queensland
    Opera Queensland
    Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981, then under the name Lyric Opera of Queensland, after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in December 1980.It is after Opera Australia the second...

    ,
  • The Queensland Symphony Orchestra
    Queensland Symphony Orchestra
    The Queensland Symphony Orchestra is an Australian orchestra, based principally in Brisbane in the state of Queensland.The QSO played its first concert on 26 March 1947, with the orchestra consisting of 45 musicians, conducted by Percy Code. John Farnsworth Hall was recruited from the Sydney...

  • The Queensland Ballet
    Queensland Ballet
    The Queensland Ballet, founded in 1960 by Charles Lisner OBE, is the premier ballet company of Queensland, Australia, and is based in Brisbane.- About Queensland Ballet :...

    ,
  • The Queensland Theatre Company
    Queensland Theatre Company
    The Queensland Theatre Company was established in 1970 as the Royal Queensland Theatre Company. The Company is the state's flagship professional theatre company, headed up by multi-award winning playwright and director Wesley Enoch...

  • The Queensland Youth Symphony Orchestra
    Queensland Youth Orchestras
    The Queensland Youth Orchestras is Australia's leading organisation for orchestral training and performance and is currently based at the Old Museum building in Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...

  • The Queensland Pops Orchestra
  • The Australian Ballet
  • The Australian Chamber Orchestra
    Australian Chamber Orchestra
    The Australian Chamber Orchestra was founded by cellist John Painter in 1975. Richard Tognetti was appointed Lead Violin in 1989 and subsequently appointed Artistic Director....

  • The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
    Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
    The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra is an Australian period instrument orchestra specialising in the performance of baroque and classical music.The musicians play from original edition scores on restored or reproduced instruments of the 18th century...

  • The Brisbane Chorale,
  • The Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra
    Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra
    The Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra is an Australian orchestra based in Murwillumbah, New South Wales. The NRSO is the premier orchestra for the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers region. The orchestra was created in 1991 by Barry Singh...

  • The QPAC Choir

External links

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