Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Behind its striking Art Deco facade on Exhibition Street, Her Majesty's Theatre holds a story of fire, reinvention, and theatrical resilience. Originally opened as the Alexandra Theatre on October 1, 1886, it was renamed by the legendary J.C. Williamson Ltd in 1900 in honour of Queen Victoria. For decades, the theatre was one of Melbourne's premier entertainment venues, hosting everything from grand opera to vaudeville. Then came the devastating fire of 1929, which gutted the interior and left only the outer walls standing. Rather than demolishing and starting over, Melbourne rebuilt. The current interior, completed in 1934, was designed by C.N. Hollinshead and Albion Walkley in a gorgeous Art Deco style at a cost of 60,000 pounds. The architects incorporated innovations that were revolutionary for the time: an integrated heating and cooling system and humidity control that kept audiences comfortable regardless of the season. This attention to audience comfort, combined with the sweeping Art Deco curves, metallic finishes, and geometric patterns of the 1934 interior, created a theatre that was both technically advanced and visually stunning. Heritage-listed for its significance in Melbourne's cultural history, Her Majesty's continues to host major touring productions. Questo's Melbourne theatre trail includes this phoenix of a venue where destruction became an opportunity for reinvention.