Originally named as His Majesty’s Theatre, the theatre opened on Boxing Day after it took only nine months of construction to complete.
When it first opened, performances were of slapstick comedians, balladeers, jugglers, acrobats, tumblers, and dancers, which were all extremely popular through to the 1930s.
St James was closed for major restrengthening and refurbishments in 2019.
After three years of being closed, the iconic St James Theatre reopened in mid-2022 to host a variety of shows, including TEEKS with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Wellington Opera - La Traviata, The Ryman Healthcare Season of Cinderella, Les Misérables and Macbeth.
Band Rotunda – 1936