Theatre Royal Sydney
One of Australia’s Oldest Theatrical Institutions
Theatre Royal Sydney has completed the mammoth task of replacing their traditional wood stage for a more modern modular stage system. This change will enable more flexibility and creativity for the incoming major productions set to call the much-loved Sydney icon home in the coming years.
“The stage replacement project has been one we have been meticulously planning for over two years. It was important for us to partner with a provider who utilises cutting-edge technology as well as sustainable materials. We were pleased to be able to repurpose the wood from our existing stage, donating it to various organisations,” said Houri Tapiki, General Manager, Theatre Royal Sydney.
“Whilst our existing stage has served us well for almost 50 years, our new, steel modular stage from ShowTrek is a game-changer, designed to accommodate a wide range of productions with ease. With the ability to facilitate trap doors and other customisable enhancements, our stage can be effortlessly modified by simply removing a panel, eliminating the need for extensive and disruptive alterations. Once the production is complete, it’s as if nothing ever happened. We are excited for the endless creative possibilities this stage will unlock for our performers and audiences alike,” she added.
A two-minute mini documentary of the changes can be found here as well as timelapse footage of the event here.
One of Australia’s oldest theatrical institutions, originating in 1832, the current Theatre Royal Sydney was built in 1976, designed by acclaimed architect Harry Seidler, offering a broad range of entertainment including dramas, comedy and musicals.
Many leading Australian and international performers have graced the Theatre Royal Sydney stage, from Jacki Weaver and John Waters in the 1980 production of They’re Playing Our Song, to Reg Livermore and Russell Crowe starring in productions of The Rocky Horror Show in 1984 and 1987 respectively. The stage has also housed some of the biggest musicals including the Australian Premiere of CATS in 1985 from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh in a two-year season, and a three-year season of The Phantom of the Opera from 1993 seen by over one million people, the longest running musical ever staged at Theatre Royal Sydney.
Co-founded by Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire in 2017, Trafalgar Entertainment is a premium international live entertainment business focussed on new productions, venue ownership, Performing Arts education, theatre ticketing, the distribution of live-streaming innovative content and the provision of great theatres where people can come together to share in the experience of live entertainment. TE is home to Trafalgar Theatres (comprising Trafalgar Theatre and Olympia Theatre in London, Theatre Royal Sydney in Australia, and 13 UK regional venues), The Chiswick Cinema, Trafalgar Theatre Productions, Trafalgar Releasing, Trafalgar Tickets, Stagecoach Performing Arts, Drama Kids/Helen O’Grady Drama Academy, ticketing company London Theatre Direct, Stagedoor, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions, and Imagine Theatre.
The historic theatre re-opened after a major two-year redevelopment and included a new auditorium with new seating and staging, designed to an international standard to house world class productions from Australia and around the world from major commercial musicals, plays, ballet & live music. Trafalgar’s redesign of the theatre added one extra row of seats and increased the capacity to 1200. Importantly, under the new two-tiered design, no seat within the auditorium is more than 23 metres from Theatre Royal’s stage.
Since its reopening in 2021, Theatre Royal Sydney has played host to many incredible productions, including the Australian premieres of Jagged Little Pill, Girl From The North Country and National Theatre’s The Lehman Trilogy. The theatre was home to TINA – The Tina Turner Musical for nine months where it played 301 performances to over 300,000 audience members, marking an epic coup for the Sydney theatre scene.
Its upcoming productions include Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, SIX the Musical, Bluey’s Big Play, the Australian premiere of the Tony and Grammy award-winning musical Hadestown and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None with further 2025 productions to be announced.
