Eumundi Voice Issue 115, 17 April 2025

ART ABOUT

The Majestic Theatre

The Majestic Theatre in Pomona is pretty busy these days. It is fully booked for 2025 which is quite an achievement for a small country theatre run by volunteers.

President of the Majestic Theatre Alison Hadfield said, “Word is out amongst performers that the heritage–listed theatre is a good space for them.” Audiences are drawn from Noosa and its hinterland, Gympie and further afield.

The theatre is a community–owned asset and works closely with community groups. Alison said, “The local museum provides lunches for silent film screenings when tour groups visit from the USA. The theatre hosts community groups for fundraising at no hire charge. Last year, Cooran State School performed its musical Starwarts, The Umpire Strikes Back at The Majestic. The theatre also sells Pomona State School’s cookbook called Tastes of Pomona, with all sales going to the school. Local bands film at the theatre and Indie filmmakers are welcome to screen their works. The ABC recently used the theatre as the setting for season 5 of its TV series Darby and Joan – although the theatre’s name was changed to The Maryville Cinema.

Alison said the Majestic’s governing committee encourages acts that people living in regional areas might not normally have access to including opera, classical musicians and other cultural events. She is keen to encourage young people in particular to see the diversity in the arts, in the hope that some may follow in the footsteps of those performers. The committee’s partnerships with Red Chair, Wild Goat, Sure Thing Agency, Road Song Tours and others, bring top quality performances to the Majestic.

The Majestic theatre itself is quirky, thanks in large part to its previous owner Ron West who sourced many of the furnishings from other theatres and cinemas when they closed down. The velvet red curtains came from the old Valhalla in Sydney and were made originally for the opening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The 1937 Compton organ is rare, and its parts were salvaged from churches and theatres in New Zealand and Australia. Alison said she regularly has to straighten the photos on the theatre’s walls after a performance of the organ as its vibrations shake the walls and send the photos askew. A register of artefacts held by the theatre was completed recently and identifies their provenance where possible.

The Majestic Theatre is a unique venue for the performing arts in the Noosa hinterland. Not–for–profits can be financially vulnerable, and Alison and the Committee have worked hard to secure the theatre’s future. Make a date to attend a performance or film screening and buy a drink at the theatre’s bar to help keep their vision alive.