Information

The Twelfth Night Theatre initially established as an amateur theatre company under foundation artistic director Rhoda Felgate in 1936, and had begun major production on Wickham Street. In the late twentieth century there developed collaboration between the Theatre and the Johnstone Gallery for a cultural enclave embracing both performing and visual arts for Brisbane. In April 1962 the Theatre had a very successful production of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, staged in the gardens of the Johnstone Gallery. Brian and Marjorie Johnstone sold an adjoining piece of land to the Theatre company with the plans for gardens linking the two facilities and theatre-goers would become gallery-goers, and vice-versa. The Twelfth Night Theatre and Theatre Club opened in 1971 at this site. The vision of a cultural enclave never eventuated at this site with the loss of the Gallery, although it was captured in the South Bank performing arts and cultural complexes. Although the State Government did have ownership for a brief period, the Twelfth Night Theatre remains the only privately owned theatre in Australia.

Citations

Kowald, Margaret. with Val Donovan, Ruth Kerr, Kay Cohen, Lyndsay Smith, and Jean Stewart. Lost Brisbane and Surrounding Areas: The Later Years. Volume 2. RHSQ. 2016 page 98

Image Citations

Map References

QSA. QSA Series ID 2058 Moreton District Maps – A Series. 5 miles to the inch. Moreton District general purpose map. 5 miles to the inch. Topographic. Brisbane, Survey Office.(coloured). 634912