Venue: The King's Theatre
Town: Stratford, NZ

The King's Theatre is a historic theatre in Stratford, New Zealand, constructed in 1917 it was the first theatre in the Southern Hemisphere to showcase sound film. It is registered as category 1 building by Heritage New Zealand. The King's Theatre is the largest building on the main street of Stratford, the only taller building in Stratford is the Glockenspiel Clock Tower. The neo-Grec façade is painted burgundy, cream, and gold and is a prominent landmark. The exterior originally included Ionic capitals holding up a pedestrian canopy and the façade had Union Jack balustrading but both of these have been removed. The bottom half of the façade has ornamental pediments, topped with 3 acroteria each, and supported by entablature. These initially served as architraves for the windows and a balcony door, although these features have been filled in. The upper half of the façade has a cornice below the parapet. The cornice frieze has eight triglyphs each with a plaque featuring palmettes atop a fluted pilaster. Underneath the cornice are guttae. The highest point of the parapet had a decorative globe until 1919. The interior is ornate with classical influences such as the decorated plaster mouldings and Ionic columns, although most interior features are of classical design some art deco features installed in the 1950s and 60s remain. The interior is painted red, black, and gold with a warm beige background. A marble staircase leads to a mezzanine floor, which houses the ticket counter, snack bar, and toilets. A bust of William Shakespeare is displayed in the interior. Refreshments were served from a marble bar. The marble bar is now a book store which helps fund the theatre. A lean-to which was added in the 1960s is located at the rear. Stratford Pictures and Amusements Ltd was formed on 27 June 1916 by a group of businessmen. They hired Grierson and Aimer to design a three-storey theatre. Johns and Sons were awarded the tender for £7134 ($1.9 million in 2022). The name wa