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Story: Theatres, cinemas and halls

Theatre Royal: restored to splendour

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Theatre Royal: restored to splendour

By 2005 Nelson's Theatre Royal had deteriorated to the point that it could no longer get a theatre operating licence. This led the Nelson Historic Theatre Trust to mount a fundraising campaign to refurbish the theatre while keeping as much of its heritage fabric as possible. Extra windows were installed on the ground floor to open the theatre to the street, but the building's auditorium kept its Victorian look and splendour. The theatre reopened to great fanfare in 2010. 

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Kiki Nichols Photography

by Kiki Nichols

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How to cite this page

Ben Schrader, Theatres, cinemas and halls – Colonial period, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/42374/theatre-royal-restored-to-splendour (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ben Schrader, published 21 August 2013.