In 1934, the National was remodelled to address safety and accessibility issues, which saw the stage dropped to ground level, the stalls lowered and the Charles Street entrance stairs removed.[14][15] The auditorium was updated with Australian-made Raycophone sound technology, and the National reopened as a talkie with The Head of the Family and Fashions of 1934.[16]
Following the Second World War, the theatre fell into financial hardship[20] and after several years of closure was purchased by the Launceston City Council (LCC) for £A17,000.[21][22]
Although the LCC proposed the theatre be renamed the Margaret McIntyre Memorial Theatre after Margaret McIntyre, the first female elected to the Parliament of Tasmania, this never eventuated.[23]
The theatre continued to be used to host international theatrical performances, live music, amusements, as well as amateur theatre productions. In 1951, the stage was damaged in a fire caused by experimentation with flash powder, causing over £A6,000 worth of damage.[24]
Following the refurbishment of Hobart's Theatre Royal in 1954, Minister for Health Reg Turnbull requested the LCC approach Premier Robert Cosgrove for a grant to restore the National Theatre.[25]
In 1958, South African actor Morry Barling suddenly died onstage.[26] The theatre remained active throughout the 1960s, largely hosting performances by the Tasmanian Ballet Company.[27]
Closure
Due to ongoing costs, the LCC decided to sell the theatre in 1969, although events continued into the next year. The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust premiered Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's comedic opera School for Fathers,[28] Welsh dramatistEmlyn Williams performed his one-man show on the life of Charles Dickens[29] and world-renowned pianist Winifred Atwell gave the final performance at the theatre on 14 November 1970. The building was sold to the printing company Foot & Playsted.
Contemporary use
The National Theatre has been greatly preserved by Foot & Playsted, who use the auditorium for storage.[15]
^"NEW TALKIE HOUSE". The Examiner (Tasmania). Vol. XCIII, no. 71. Tasmania, Australia. 2 June 1934. p. 13 (DAILY). Retrieved 20 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Suggests Grant For Theatre". The Mercury. Vol. CLXXVI, no. 26, 206. Tasmania, Australia. 22 December 1954. p. 6. Retrieved 31 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^Bergman, Dr. George (14 April 1961). "TINY LAUNCESTON JEWRY DWINDLES". The Australian Jewish Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 11 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.