NEW SUBURBAN THEATRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 14

NEW SUBURBAN THEATRE.

MOUNT EDEN TERMINUS. CITY BUILDING ALSO PLANNED. Mount Eden is to follow the lead of other suburbs in having a theatre of its own. A large modern picture-house, built on the latest lines, is to be constructed at the Mount Eden tram terminus by Hippodrome Theatres, Limited, which already controls five theatres in the city and suburbs. This will provide a picture theatre at nearly every tram terminus in Auckland. The theatre is to be built at a total cost of about £15,000. Two blocks of land have been secured, providing a section sloping down a little from Mount Eden Road. The theatre will be built on one floor, the slope of which will do awa'y with the provision of a dress circle. The interior length of the theatre will be 150 ft. and the width 63ft. A stage 50ft. wide and 20ft. deep will also be provided. In addition to an entrance 30ft. wide, two shops will occupy the frontage to Mount Eden Road. The single sloping floor, providing a theatre without any stairs, is a novelty so far as Auckland theatre construction is concerned, but it has been made a feature in many theatres in other countries. The tender for the construction of the building has been let to Mr. N. Cole, the Auckland contractor, and work will commence almost immediately. The chairman of directors of Hippodrome Theatres, Limited, Dr. F. J. liayner, said last evening it was the intention of his firm to build six modern theatres in different parts of New Zealand this year. One of these would be a city theatre in Auckland, but he was not prepared to make any announcement as to the site.