Historical information
Located on the Lower Esplanade at St Kilda, the Palais Theatre opened on 11 November 1927, replacing an earlier cinema destroyed by fire the year before. It accommodated nearly 3000 patrons. After the introduction of television, it became a venue for live performances including opera, classical ballet, folk and ethnic dance companies, musicals and concerts. The Australian Ballet performed there in the 1970s until the Victorian Arts Centre opened in 1984. The photograph was taken around the time of the Australian Ballet's 1981 season from July 23 to August 6, featuring ballets "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Onegin," "Suite en Blanc," "Carmen," "Variaciones Concertantes," "The Merry Widow," "Poems," "Kettentanz," "Monotones," and "Afternoon of a Faun".
The image was published in Shout newspaper on two occasions, accompanying articles about the future of the St Kilda foreshore.
Physical description
Black and white photograph, unmounted
Subjects
References
- A Short History of the Palais Theatre Heritage Council of Victoria website.
- A Place of Sensuous Resort - Buildings of St Kilda and Their People ISBN/ISSN: ISBN: 0-9751060-5-8 Written by Richard Peterson. Published by St Kilda Historical Society
- 'The Future', Shout, August 1981 p 8. Article in newspaper published 2-4 times a year over the period 1980-1991 by the St Kilda Shout Collective.
- 'Foreshore Rip-Off', Shout, November 1981 p 1. Article in newspaper published 2-4 times a year over the period 1980-1991 by the St Kilda Shout Collective.
