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