A development application for Australia’s only theatre dedicated to local playwriting has been submitted for assessment.
Designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, the proposed new Griffin Theatre will “create a new, nationally significant hub for Australian storytelling in the heart of Sydney’s Kings Cross / Darlinghurst cultural precinct.”
Established in 1979, the Griffin Theatre is the only theatre company in Australia exclusively devoted to the development and staging of new Australian plays. It has helped to launch the careers of many Australian actors including Cate Blanchett and Jacqueline McKenzie.
The theatre company has leased its current home, the 135-year-old SBW Stables Theatre, since 1980 and in 2022, the company purchased the site, as well as a neighbouring terrace house with the aid of $5 million donation from the Neilson Foundation.
Entry to the new Griffin Theatre will be oriented away from its residential neighbours.
Image: Tonkin Zulaikha Greer
Both buildings will be demolished to make way for a new theatre building designed in the spirit of the existing.
The SBW Stables Theatre’s unique kite-shaped stage will be recreated in the new theatre, along with additional facilities such as a rehearsal space in the basement and a foyer and bar that will also be used as a multi-purpose performance space.
Entry to the new theatre will be oriented away from its residential neighbours to minimize noise.
The new building will also be clad in brickwork in deference to the existing brick theatre building. “The iconic stable doors [will be] reinterpreted in acoustically isolating concrete,” said Tonkin Zulaikha Greer in a design statement. “All [of which] express the history and distinctive
DNA of the old Griffin Theatre.”
The theatre’s seating capacity will be increased from 105 to 140.
If approved, construction is expected begin in May 2024 and the new theatre will open in early 2026.
