Majestic Theatre, Christchurch

Majestic Theatre officially opened on 1 March 1930 by Mayor John Kendrick Archer, becoming the largest cinema in the city.^[1][2][4] The office space was first tenanted to the Department of Labour, with the rest of the building leased by Christchurch Cinemas Limited.^[1][2] The first screening was the film Welcome Danger (1929).^[5]

In 1946, Christchurch Cinemas Limited was sold to Sir Robert Kerridge.^[3][9] That same year, the building was damaged in a fire.^[3][4][2] It was renovated in a project undertaken by architect Harry Francis Willis and soon reopened.^[3][2] However, both Willis and J. and W. Jamieson Limited were fined for altering the building without a permit.^[5] The renovation was also criticised by the Christchurch Returned Services' Association for its heavy use of plaster, during a time when housing projects were delayed due to the shortage of the material.^[5]

Majestic Theatre began holding stage performances from 1954.^[5] This was particularly important during the 1960s, in response to the growth of television impacting cinema attendance. The theatre saw success with the Startime Spectacular music shows in the 1960s, and held notable shows by artists including The Beatles, The Kinks, Manfred Mann and The Dave Clark Five.^{[3][1][9][10]}

On 28 August 1970, Majestic Theatre permanently closed as a cinema and theatre venue,^[9][2] following a second fire which started in the dress circle.^[3][4][5] It was purchased on 16 October 1972 by Demeter Holdings Limited.^[5] In 1973, Standby Enterprises acquired a leasehold and remodelled Majestic Theatre into a nightclub named Moby Dick’s Nite Spot.^[4][3][5][2] The nightclub featured a discotheque, dining area, and games room.^[5] On 5 July 1975, the building was damaged in another fire caused by a cleaner, Adrian Neal Bolt.^[5] Standby Enterprises was liquidated the following year, unable to claim insurance.^[5]

In 1976, the Christchurch Revival Fellowship purchased the building and restored it, opening it in 1978 as the City New Life Centre.^[4][3][5][9] The new venue operated as a church and had a reduced capacity of 1100 seats.^[3][1][5] In its later years, it was known as Majestic Church.^[3][2] The organisation had intended to complete further restoration in the late 2000s.^[4]

In February 2011, Majestic Theatre was damaged in the Christchurch Earthquake and was permanently closed.^[5]

Majestic Theatre incurred moderate damage in the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake. The damage was deemed repairable.^[11] As a Group 2 scheduled heritage building,^[11] heritage advocates and members of the public argued that the building should be saved.^[11][12] Historic Places Canterbury requested a pause on plans to demolish the building by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authortiy (CERA), so that an engineering report could be conducted.^[11][12]

An organisation named Save The Majestic was formed to campaign against demolition plans.^[11] Some small protests were held outside of the theatre and the group planned to take legal action,^[11][13] believing the building was being sacrificed so that Manchester Street could be widened as part of the eastern frame plan.^[11][12]

In December 2013, the Christchurch City Council vowed it would save the building and would meet with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authortiy (CERA) to discuss it.^[11][12] However, the Christchurch Central Development Unit, tasked with selecting projects to demolish in the inner city, issued a section 38 notice and went ahead with the demolition, which took place in May 2014.^[11][12][1] The decision was signed off by Warwick Isaacs who led the department, prompting public criticism.^[14][15]

In response to the criticism of his approach to heritage buildings in general, Isaacs stated he found the heritage issue "challenging" but that his focus was to keep the rebuild moving.^[15] In a retrospective investigation by Stuff in 2021, Isaacs refused to comment.^[16] Baden Ewart, who was CERA director of planning and worked closely with Isaacs, stated that buildings were demolished as they were a safety risk, and in many cases, the owners did not have the finances to save them.^[16]

Media related to Majestic Theatre, Christchurch at Wikimedia Commons