King's Theatre, Melbourne

[5] The building featured the use of 2,000,000 bricks, cost 32,000 pounds to construct and included 15 theatre exits that led into streets or laneways in consideration of fire risk.

[7] Victorian State Premier Sir Thomas Bent opened the theatre and other members of parliament were in attendance at the opening performance of Man to Man, a drama which featured Anderson's wife Eugenie Duggan in a leading role, as well as her brother Edmund Duggan.

As well as melodramas and plays, the theatre also presented shows by other acts, such as controversial Canadian dancer Maud Allan, with musicians the Cherniavskys (Mischel, Leo and Jan)[8] and international magicians Le Roy, Talma & Bosco, an act which featured Servais Le Roy, his wife Talma and their colleague Leon Bosco.

[10] In 1911 Anderson faced financial ruin due to the failure of his Wonderland City fun fair venture in Sydney.

During the 1920, '30s and '40s, the theatre saw plays, vaudeville, pantomimes (such as Sinbad the Sailor (1939)), comedians, musical revues (like the mostly American production of Olsen and Johnson's Hellzapoppin (1949)), magicians and others perform.

[13] The following year, Carroll, with partners Aztec Services had the theatre reconverted for live stage productions for sub-lessee, entrepreneur Harry Wren.

[13] 1949 saw the Kings Theatre host a season of the controversial Australian play Rusty Bugles, a drama about servicemen by Sumner Locke Elliott, which featured a large degree of swearing.