The Criterion Theatre, popularly known as "the Cri," was a theatre in Sydney, Australia, situated on the south-east corner of Pitt and Park Streets. It operated from 1886 to 1935, serving as one of the city's principal intimate playhouses for nearly half a century.
Construction and opening
The theatre was funded by entrepreneur John Solomon and designed by architect George R. Johnson. It opened on 27 December 1886 with a performance of the operetta Falka by the Rignold and Allison Opera Company. The building was constructed in a Victorian baroque (or Italianate/Neo-Renaissance) style and was conjoined with the Criterion Family Hotel, following the colonial tradition of linking theatre and hotel. The theatre had a capacity of approximately 990 to 1,000 seats.
Interior design
The interior employed a colonial version of the late Georgian style, with seating in the stalls, a dress circle with an ornamented face, side boxes, and a gallery. The auditorium's colour scheme was light blue and gold, with seats upholstered in ruby plush velvet and balconies incorporating gilt and brocade—a departure from the green baize commonly used in theatres of the period. The stage curtain was made of gold-fringed ruby plush, and the act drop featured a framed painting of Captain James Cook proclaiming British possession of the east coast of Australia.
Later modifications
The theatre underwent extensive remodelling in 1892 to designs by the architectural firm Backhouse and Laidley, prompted in part by criticism from the Colonial Architect, who complained of inadequate and malodorous backstage facilities, including poorly ventilated dressing rooms and an orchestra pit lacking natural light. The 1892 alterations raised the roof, enlarged the stage, added dressing rooms above it, and redecorated the interior in a Moorish style featuring pale blue, fawn, and old gold. The nationalist imagery of the act drop was replaced with the interior of a Moorish palace. Further modifications in 1905 addressed health and safety concerns, increased the number of exits, incorporated fireproofing, and expanded seating capacity.
Productions and management
The Criterion hosted numerous notable productions, including The Sultan of Mocha (1890), The Kelly Gang (1898), and The Squatter's Daughter (1907). It was home to several production companies, including the Brough Boucicault Comedy Company, which presented works by playwrights such as Pinero and Oscar Wilde from 1894 to 1906, as well as the Henry Bracy's Comic Opera Company, Pollards Lilliputian Opera Company, and the Curtis Minstrels. Expatriate performers Oscar Asche and Lily Brayton toured productions there on multiple occasions beginning in 1909. The Australian premiere of the musical comedy Irene took place at the theatre in 1920.
Frank Musgrove purchased the theatre in 1913, and from 1915 the lease was held by J. C. Williamson's, which used it as the Sydney outlet for imported London West End comedies. Following the amalgamation of J. C. Williamson Ltd with J & N Tait in 1920, the theatre came directly under Williamson's control.
Closure and demolition
The theatre closed on 13 July 1935, its final production being Barry Conners' farce The Patsy. Its closure was attributed in part to the economic pressures of the Great Depression, entertainment taxes, and competition from cinemas. The building was demolished in 1935–1936, with part of the site used for the widening of Park Street and the remainder for retail expansion. The adjacent Criterion Hotel, which had been linked to the theatre, was subsequently rebuilt on the site and served as a popular meeting place for actors recording at nearby ABC radio studios after World War II.
