DSDN 171 - Blog 5

Locovisual

St James theatre

Known as the best theatre in New Zealand, ‘His Majisty’ or best known as St James theatre is situated in Wellington on Courtney place. The architect of the beautiful rococo and neo-classical revival designed theatre was Henry Eli White who had built what was one of his most famous theatres out of his one hundred and thirty. It was built in 1912 and he believed it was one to out live the rest.

When designing St James theatre White believed a classic design was what would be best suited for the austere climate of wellington. Baroque opulence was favoured more on the inside much like the English theatres. Beautiful plaster work was created on the inside by William Leslie with plaster masks, full figures, cupids, ornate cornices and picked out gold decorative work and ‘the faintest flush of rose madder’. The brother of Rose Leslie was used as a model for William to create the plaster work of the cherubs.

The balcony frontage has the typical cheery theatrical rococo style. The highly ornamented interior that includes plaster caryatids, cherubs and curlicues, and gilded classical Greek motifs that include lyres, horns, harps, acanthus leaves, dancing cupids, and theatre masks.

 The outside has been created with a neo-classical look. Columns or the column like structure is displayed over the front of the theatre. The design relating back to the Parthenon with its bold square look and raised triangular roof imbedded on each side of the front of the building. White designed it to be symmetrical giving it a high standard finish.

The St james theatre was near the first of theatres that White employed the ‘semi-cantilever’ system.  A system of where columns would not be situated throughout the theatres but well back. He quotes the reason of this in a general discussion:  “ ‘How often do you hear someone say? Oh, I had a bad seat just behind one of those wretched pillars. That is wrong, the perfect theatre should have no pillars.”

[Untitled photograph of St James theatre]. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2283/2289740452_88a9a98aca.jpg

[Untitled photograph of St James theatre]. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2012, from

http://www.conventionsnz.co.nz/MetaPicHandler.ashx?JPEG=_1539_4_1_6_4_0_.metapicx

McGill, D. (1998). Full circle The history of the St James Theatre. Wellington, New Zealand: Phantom house books.

Gardiner, M.F. (1974). Henry Eli White (published masters thesis). University of Victoria, Wellington.