As Marian Street Theatre sits abandoned, protestors seek $30 million lifeline

Thespians and theatregoers gathered in Gordon on Sunday, protesting outside Ku-ring-gai Council chambers in a last ditch effort to save Killara’s Marian Street Theatre. 

What happened: For over a decade, the fate of the once humming theatre has hung in the balance. In 2013, Ku-ring-gai Council, which owns the property, deemed the building was no longer compliant with the Australian Building Code, and closed its doors. 

Council resolved to renovate the theatre in 2018, and received approval for a development application in 2021. But the project lacked funding, and work never started. 

This August, that DA is set to expire. At its June meeting, Ku-ring-gai Council voted 7-3 to allow it to lapse, claiming that it had no funding to pursue the project, estimated to cost $30.3 million dollars. 

Those protesting on Sunday called on council to reverse that decision. 

Davidson MP Matt Cross spoke at Sunday’s rally, while Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele has backed the theatre’s revival in federal parliament. 

Councillors are divided on the matter. Many are reluctant to sink ratepayer money into a major infrastructure project. A minority see the project as a vital investment into the arts, and believe the DA should be maintained while potential funding sources are sought. 

History: Through the 1970s and 1980s, Marian Street Theatre operated as a cultural hub under the direction of Peter Collingwood and John Krummel, allowing North Shore locals to see live theatre productions only a few train stops away. 

Through the years, it hosted scores of well-known Australian actors such as Leonard Teale, Helen Morse and Ruth Cracknell.

Jessica Ashby, chair of the campaign, told the Lorikeet that despite this golden age being long gone, the theatre still had value to the community. 

“Yes, it had its heyday,” she told the Lorikeet. “But it also continued for quite a long time [after this], and has inspired a lot of young people.”  

Ashby expressed confidence in the theatre’s business case, pointing to Glenn Street Theatre in Belrose as an example of a successful venue in a suburban location. She conceded that like other theatre spaces, it would rely on council funding, but saw this as a worthy investment.