Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch

The Isaac Theater Royal is one of Christchurch’s most treasured performance venues and one of the city’s major heritage survivors. Its story begins before the present building: the Canterbury Music Hall opened nearby on Boxing Day, December 26, 1861, in a converted structure that was soon renamed the Royal Princess Theater in honor of Princess Alexandra of Denmark. A new Theater Royal replaced it in 1876, and the current building, the third theater of the name, was built between 1906 and 1908. Designed by Sidney and Alfred Luttrell, it became New Zealand’s only remaining operational Edwardian-style theater.

The theater was created for live performance, but like many theaters of its era, it adapted with the times. In 1928, it was refitted for motion pictures, and for much of the mid-20th century it operated mainly as a cinema before returning more strongly to live performance. Its interior remains the main reason to visit: balconies, decorative plasterwork, a marble staircase, a proscenium arch, and a richly painted dome give the auditorium the atmosphere of an old theater restored for modern use. Over the years, its stage has welcomed everything from vaudeville, drama, opera, ballet, comedy, and musicals to concerts and major touring productions.

The building has also survived through careful reinvention. The backstage area was rebuilt with a modern concrete fly tower, the stage and proscenium were enlarged, and front-of-house facilities were upgraded. During this renovation period, the theater became the Isaac Theater Royal in honor of Lady Diana Isaac, a generous supporter of the arts in New Zealand. The 2011 earthquake caused severe damage to the auditorium and foyer, closing the theater for nearly four years. The auditorium dome was rebuilt in carbon fiber using the original 1908 painted mural as a reference, and the restored theater reopened in 2014.