1. The foyer of the Theatre Royal, Sydney
    Photograph: Nigel Kippers/Time out
  2. Theatre Royal auditorium
    Photograph: Pierre Toussaint
  3. Theatre Royal stage
    Photograph: Pierre Toussaint

Theatre Royal Sydney

One of Sydney's modernist masterpieces has had a top-to-bottom glow-up after a five-year hiatus
  • Theatre
  • Sydney
Maxim Boon
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Time Out says

To date, four Theatre Royals have raised a curtain on this site in the CBD, dating back almost as long as Sydney has existed. The current incarnation, a Harry Seidler-designed architectural treasure, was opened in 1976 within the MLC Centre, replacing the 1875 Theatre Royal, and for decades, it reigned as one of Sydney's most hallowed Broadway-style venues, hosting the Australian premieres of both Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, the latter running for a whopping three years and seen by more than a million thetregoers.

However, in 2016, long overdue for a glow-up, the theatre closed its doors. But not for good. Plans were afoot to make significant upgrades and extensions to the MLC Centre that would revitalise the heart of the CBD as a vibrant entertainment, retail and nightlife hub.

Five years later, and the Theatre Royal has undergone a top-to-bottom upgrade of both its front-of-house and backstage facilities. Reopened to the public on November 29, it's now the crowning jewel in the ambitious multibillion-dollar 25 Martin Place development.

The venue is under the management of Trafalgar Entertainment, one of London's most experienced theatre operators.

Details

Address
25 Martin Place
108 King St
Sydney
2000
Opening hours:
Box office: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.

What’s on

Fiddler on the Roof

4 out of 5 stars
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London has become a home for staggering visuals and reimaginings of classic musicals. The most recent touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar arrived with rave reviews and award-winning performances from its electrifying revival of the rock musical. Now, Fiddler on the Roof gets its turn for a facelift at Theatre Royal Sydney, with a backing from a stellar team whose work covers Olivier and Tony Award-winning productions.  What is the premise of Fiddler on the Roof? It’s 1905 in the fictional shtetl of Anatevka set in Tsarist Russia, twelve years before the Russian Revolution of 1917. A ghostly rise of the curtain sees Ben Adler’s Fiddler on a flat-roofed stage, the name of the village faces backwards towards the band sitting behind a high row of wheat fields. Tevye, a Jewish milkman, leads his family by their proud traditions. This means a loyal wife, visits to the matchmaker, five obedient daughters, and daily conversations with God. But this is a time of change, his daughters wish to break away from the closed community’s traditions amidst the backdrop of a changing world.  Throughout, we see more than just Tevye’s family dynamics needing to grapple with forces far greater than Anatevka can withstand.  Who are the cast and crew of Fiddler on the Roof? Jordan Fein’s direction gives ample scope for spectacle, particularly when Julian Cheng’s choreography is placed front and centre – the high-energy traditional dances are the show’s...
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