Location: Collins Street, Melbourne
Opened: 15 March, 1929
The 3,250 seat Regent Theatre opened on Collins Street in 1929 as part of Francis Thring's Regent franchise. On April 29 1945, fire struck the Regent and destroyed the auditorium, which took 2 years to rebuild.
Dogged by constant rumours of demolition in the 1960's, and in 1970 the Regent franchise - including venues in South Yarra and Ballarat - were closed down. The contents of the theaters were auctioned. Lord Mayor Alan Walley and his successor Ron Walker both supported the demolition of the theatre, despite a Save The Regent campaign attempting to save it. It was eventually saved by Premier Rupert Hamer, who created heritage protection that ensured its survival.
It sat dormant for 26 years until the grand vision of entrepreneur David Marriner's vision of restoration for the theatre was complete. In 1996, the venue reopened as a 2,162 seat theatre hosting musicals and plays.
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