Venue fit for a visiting Queen

Former chief projectionist Doug Harley says it would be a tragedy to lose the historic theatre. Photo / Brett Phibbs

When the Queen visited Auckland in 1981, Doug Harley spent a week sleeping in the St James Theatre before the Royal Variety Performance.

The show was Mr Harley's own "finale" and he wanted to be sure nothing went wrong with the Queen's fourth visit to the theatre.

"I had to sleep in the theatre for a week as I was the only one who knew where all the fuses were," said the 84-year-old.

Mr Harley is the theatre's former chief projectionist and says it would be a tragedy to lose the heritage building.

He worked at the St James for 25 years, before retiring in 1981.

He said the public of Auckland did not realise how much they would lose if the building was pulled down.

"It's an absolute tragedy what has happened to it. It's an icon. It was the most beautiful place to work. It was more than bricks and mortar because of the atmosphere."

The theatre has been closed since a fire in 2007 and its future is being debated as the Government contemplates five national convention centre bids. One contender, The Edge, plans to restore the St James as the main venue for opera, theatre and ballet.

The St James was built in 1928 to replace Fullers' Opera House.

Mr Harley believed "incredible insight" had been shown in building a venue that catered for more than 2000 people.

The large capacity brought stage shows, overseas ballets, West End productions and royal performances to New Zealand.

"If it hadn't been there for stage shows, people from overseas would not have come."

Mr Harley said the theatre was the very first release house for top-grade MGM classics, and the good taste of the entertainment was "out of this world".

"The people who I worked with were showmen and professionals."

He has kept memorabilia from the theatre, including the projector that was used to show Gone With the Wind in 1941.

Mr Harley said the theatre should never have been allowed to get to the state it is in now. "It's just been left to rot away so much, and it's a part of New Zealand heritage in so many respects."