• Cummins Theatre

  • Cummins Theatre

About the Venue

Located in the heart of the Wheatbelt, the Cummins Theatre is a multipurpose performance venue owned and operated by the Shire of Merredin. A heritage listed site approximately halfway between Perth and Kalgoorlie just off of the Great Eastern Highway, the venue’s historic structure includes the proscenium from Coolgardie’s Tivoli Theatre (1897) as well as the Cummins’ original facade from 1928.

Since reopening in 2010 after an extensive refurbishment supported by Royalties For Regions, the Cummins Theatre annually presents a diverse range of works by professional touring companies, in house productions by ‘Cummins Kids’ and ‘Merredin Repertory Club’, live simulcasts, and cinema screenings. Our facility also contains a conference room (Tivoli Room), commercial kitchen, licensed bar, and a small visual arts gallery, allowing us to host workshops, award ceremonies, dinners, balls, conferences, weddings, and more.

Seating in the theatre is flexible allowing for a multitude of seating options from standard theatre rows, to cabaret tables, long dinner style seating, or opening up the auditorium floor to accommodate dancing.

Today the Theatre aims to be more than simply a regional performance venue in Western Australia. Beginning in 2012 the theatre has launched a number of initiatives aimed at providing rich cultural experiences for the regional community of Merredin while inviting international arts workers to the region and offering them the opportunity to develop new works through an annual residency program. Past initiatives have included playreading schemes with NoPassport Theatre Alliance (USA), dramatic writing competitions through Stages WA, hosting of a number of international workshops, and a project development program with Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. The procurement of the ‘Kitchener St Artist Residence’ by the theatre has allowed for the ongoing success of this program as it allows the theatre to house artists throughout their stay.

For more information, contact the theatre manager at CumminsTheatre@merredin.wa.gov.au

Technical Specifications

Floor

Auditorium is a flat, polished floorboard surface that has historical significance and therefore cannot be screwed into. Maximum capacity for the area is 200 pax however as we use individual seats for the space there are various configurations of tables/chairs that seat fewer in a cabaret style.

FOH Walls

Walls in the FOH area are also of historical significance and therefore cannot have anything affixed to them in any way.

Access

The loading dock is accessible from the carpark at the back of the theatre. The doors are approximately 350mm above ground level.

Stage Information and Dimensions

The stage is original jarrah floorboards skinned with 9mm Masonite. It can be screwed into and painted as necessary but must be reinstated as part of the get out to matt black at a cost to the visiting company. No more than 50 persons are allowed on the stage at any one time.

Proscenium width
7550
Proscenium height
4600
Setting line to back wall
8000
Front of stage to back wall
9800
Centre Line to inside soft legs (standard config)
3385
Centre Line to side walls
6620
Proscenium to side walls
2850
Height to underside of grid
9650
Max out dead (height to underside of bar)
8880

Flying

All bars are 48mm diameter pipe 9000mm long and lighting bars have a rigid structure including 12 circuits each.
- 6 manual winch scenery bars (200kg WLL)
- 4 manual winch lighting bars (150kg WLL)
- 5 single speed motorised bars (175KG WLL)
- 5 dead hung drapes bars
- 1 dead hung FOH bar

There are no other standard rigging points available.

Stage Equipment

We have a Quick Up 9 (max height 8000mm and requires outriggers to be operated).

3 pairs of dead hung legs (4800x3000), a DS set of tabs (2x5000x5000) and the red velvet house curtain (2x5000x5000) are permanently rigged on dead hung bars. Additionally, 4 black borders and 1 red velvet border to match the house curtain (all 9000x2000) are hung on the manually adjustable fly bars.

We also have
- 4 x 3000x4800 legs
- 1 x 8000x4800 smother
- 1 x 9050x4300 white cyclorama

Seating Capacity

Cummins Theatre

Seating Capacity

Auditorium 200
Raked 222

The raked seating consists of fixed seating, a permanent mix position at the back of the rake and a temporary mix position directly in front of the lowest seating bank. Flooring cannot be screwed into.

Hire Fees & Charges

More info available

MORE INFO

Staffing

1 full time venue manager
1 casual technician

Services

- In house audio and lighting equipment
- Marketing services
- Box office
- Online ticketing
- Licensed Bar

Contact
Address
31 Bates Street, Merredin, Western Australia, Australia
Phone
Phone: 08 9041 3295
Online
E: cumminstheatre@merredin.wa.gov.au
W: http://www.cumminstheatre.com.au