The Theatre Royal is situated in central Hobart

Hobart city centre

Hobart also known as the Hobart city centre is a locality surrounded by Hobart which comprises the original settlement, the central business district and other built-up areas...

, Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

. It stages many events including international ballet

Ballet

Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

, opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

, drama

Drama

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...

 and musicals. It was constructed between 1834-1837 and is the oldest continually operating theatre in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

Threat of demolition

The theatre survived despite several times when demolition was planned. In the 1940's Sir Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier

Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...

 spoke passionately to Tasmanians and urged them to "never let it go". Noel Coward

Noël Coward

Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...

 also played the Theatre Royal.
In 1950, Gwen Friend, sister of artist Donald Friend

Donald Friend

Donald Stuart Leslie Friend was an Australian artist, writer and diarist.- Early life :Born in Sydney, precociously talented both as an artist and a writer, Friend grew up in the artistic circle of his bohemian mother...

, and Fifi Banvard heard that the Theatre Royal was to be demolished. Abandoning their overseas trip, which they were due to leave on in a few days, they flew to Hobart and signed the lease, saving the theatre. Gwen spent 28,000 pounds on restoring the theatre and founded Fifi Banvard Productions, which produced numerous shows for 18 months. After their term there, the theatre fabric again declined.

Fire

A fire threatened the Theatre Royal with closure. Smoke damage affected all the furniture and the paintings on the ceiling of famous musicians & composers. One painting was found in the "Royal Box" that was the only survivor of these paintings. This painting is now in a display case in the foyer of the theatre. All the artworks had to be repainted and new furniture was installed. It took several years for the theatre to re-open.

Fred the Ghost

Many local residents of Hobart have reported that a ghost

Ghost

In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...

of a former actor at the Theatre Royal makes appearances. Frequently, in Double B, but also backstage. 'Fred', the ghost, was allegedly killed during a fight at the former theatre Inn (now the basement).