History
When it opened in February 1929, the cinema had the largest seating capacity in Australia, holding 3371 people. A dual-console Wurlitzer organ of style 270 was installed featuring 21 rows of pipes and a grand piano attachment and oboe horn The building features a Moorish Revival exterior, with minarets and a clock tower.
In the 1963 the venue was converted into two cinemas, the Forum and the Rapallo, by cinema chain Greater Union. In 1978 the Forum was listed on the Historic Buildings Register. In 1981 renovations took place, dividing the complex into Forum I and Forum II. Forum I being the larger of the two is located on the ground floor and generally used for concerts and other large-scale performances, whereas the third-floor Forum II is a smaller venue with a total capacity of 543 (concert) - 594 (screening) as opposed to Forum I's 1500 (standing) or 788 (cabaret) or 826 (theatre).
The theatre is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
In 1985 it was purchased and used by the Revival Centres International, a Christian organisation and fell into disrepair. In 1995 it was purchased by Staged Developments Australia, who redeveloped it for use as a film and concert venue.
It was later bought by David Marriner, as part of a project to establish Melbourne as a major centre for theatre in the Southern Hemisphere.
Read more about this topic: Forum Theatre
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