There is a palpable energy as the house lights dim: it’s showtime. When the feature ends, patrons spill out, carrying with them a shared hum of excitement. Yet most audiences remain fixed on the spectacle unfolding before them, seldom pausing to consider the intricate design, craftsmanship and storied histories inherent in the venues themselves. Australian theatre and cinemagoers have an exceptional array of venues to patronise, from massive Italian Renaissance-inspired entertainment palaces to our strong lineage of 1930’s Art Deco cinemas. With unprecedented access, Australian Theatres and Cinemas reveals these buildings in their full complexity: auditoria, roofs, basements, stages, catwalks, fly cages, dressing rooms, green rooms, lounges, control booths, projector rooms, directors’ boxes, loading docks and equipment spaces. It captures walls replete with cast signatures and band-signed set lists, antique projection systems and fully functioning Wurlitzers. Australian Theatres and Cinemas showcases the countrys prime examples of these places, where, without exception, the show must go on.
