Capitol Theatre

What a classic! I felt very honoured to be in this building tonight. It wasn’t until intermission, when buying my ice cream from the little shop inside the actual theatre, that I looked up at the elaborate and intricately designed ceilings, seats and stage that I was taken with the ghost of shows and actors/​actresses/​musicians and guests past.
What a timeless beauty.

The Capitol Theatre in Haymarket is a great example of one of many historic sites in Sydney that was almost torn down back in the 1970’s but has since been modernised through a renovation program and now hosts all kinds of amazing productions.
The building exterior is not much to look at and frankly has no real architectural interest at all. It is located in a part of the Sydney CBD that has a real gritty & dirty feel to in the heart of Chinatown so needless to say there are alot of oddball characters out on the streets and who are loitering around it.
Very friendly door people in uniforms (that give that real sense of nostolgia of an era when people actually used to dress up to go to the theatre) welcome you in. Inside the bar areas are a little tight & chaotic and peoples lack of courtesy really is evident. The interior of the theatre itself is quite stunning. The stage is deep and the seating is lined thoughtfully so you don’t have to do a neck hula to see around the person in front of you. The best part is the leg room, especially for a guy like me who is 6ft and still manages to have space between the end of my knees and the back of the chair in front.
I have seen a number of performances at the theatre over the years and my only real negative is that the sound is never loud enough. There do seem to be some sweet spots for audio that if you find them make the world of difference but otherwise I don’t think you would be disappointed with the venue at all.
Tips
1. They validate parking at the box office after productions which gives you cheap $ 8 all day parking on weekends under Paddy’s markets a block away. Enter from Quay Street.
2. Venue is located close to Central station and is about 10 – 15 minutes walk away whilst the tram pickups on the upper concourse of Central;s country terminal and stops on the back end of the complex.
3. Every now and then, the Capitol Box Office will run a lotto for certain shows that gives you access to the front row at a cheaper rate on the same day of a production. You have to register your name in the morning in person and they draw names several hours later which you have to be in attendance for. If you are lucky enough you can score a maximum of 2 front row seats at a much lower margin then before provided you pay on the spot.
4. If you are looking to spend less on tickets, wait till a show is coming to the end of its run as you can pickup good seats at much lower prices then when the performance is in its opening season.
5. Row B around seat 17 is one of the good audio sweet spots.
6. Seat boosters are available for kids to lift them to a viewing height so is kid friendly.

Like other Unilocalers have said, Capitol Threatre looks like an average building and has been sitting in Central for years without any renovations.
I was surprised when I went in and saw the medieval themed interiors, with statues, mosaic patterns, and Tudor style lights alongside the grainy walls.
The theatre itself is large and you can get good views of the stage from all the seats, even the aisle seats at the sides and the back.

I’ve been here twice for lion king and les mis musical and have had a great time on both occasions.
The gothic deco reminds me of the deco inside the state theatre. You’ll see many half naked statues here and there, illuminated with spotlights. They kept telling people not to take photos but this seem to motivate rather than deter. Especially since no one seem to be stopping you from doing so.
The seating is pretty comfy and you should still be able to see the stage even at the cheaper tickets.
They also allow you to bring food and drinks into the theatre which could be handy if you can’t down the entire beer during the interlude. You’re basically a captive customer when you’re inside the theatre so don’t expect cheap prices for food and drinks. Walk across the street and buy it from the many convenient stores if you’re trying save some money.

I’m impressed.
I initially didn’t think much of this place. I pass this way every day on my way home from work, and c’mon… it’s in Haymarket, near Thainatown. There’s a ton of Thai restaurants along this street (all good and cheap meals, no fancy spots mind you) and Asian groceries peddling fruits and veggies and native dishes.
It’s attached to Capitol Square, which is basically an electronics paradise where Asian shop owners sell their wares.
I was not prepared when I stepped inside. We went here to watch the Lion King, and after having our tickets inspected at the door we were told to go up where there’d be food and merch available.
The place is like a medieval castle. I mean, sure they had booths for merchandise and food and all that usual stuff, but the walls were lined with statues and pillars and the lighting was amazing and it made me feel like I was in Hogwarts.
Despite the medieval look and feel it was really quite comfortable — bathrooms were nice and clean (and not a throwback to the dark ages, thank goodness) and the seats were comfortable. It didn’t feel cramped or old and despite not having the best seats in the house we still got a great view of the stage.

First time I stepped foot here was last Saturday for The Lion King!
Once you’re inside it feels like you’ve stepped back in time with the goth era looking wall furnishings and the statues around. A similar décor can be found inside the Theatre. Just wow!
The ceiling reminded me when i was at The Venetian in last vegas with the imitation of a fake sky :)
We were seated in the front row on the upper seating area so it was a wonderful and spectacular experience seeing the Lion King from above.
I’m bewildered as to why i have not been in here before! (Tsk tsk)
Only downside can be the line for the bar and the prices of the snacks! I got a bag of Jaffa’s and small popcorn and that came to $ 11.50!
Overall, a great first time experience.

Oh wow! What a magnificent structure and to think somebody actually owns it. It was such an absolute honour to be seated in the Capitol theatre, the walls are lined with statues and intricacies that are beguiling. The high ceilings will take your breath away and they are extremely high. The acoustics amazing, I watched mary poppins and although there is a safety bar directly in front of the 1^st row of the dress circle, it is still fantastic. There was plenty of leg room and the staff helpful and courteous. The bar is over priced, so definitely take your own snacks if you need them. Have a drink at the pub next door before you go in. Otherwise a really fantastic venue to enjoy a special evening at the show.

Well, after being blown away by the State Theater, I really didn’t expect another venue of such class and caliber.
The Capitol truly is another awesome jewel in Sydney’s crown.
I was slightly confused on arriving as there are 2 entrances. One is the Box Office entrance which feeds through to the main theater. No big deal though. All is forgotten when you enter the main auditorium. It is magnificent. I was fortunate enough to have seats 3 or 4 rows from the front, albeit right to the side. They were actually cheaper seats because of this, but we had no issues with the view whatsoever. In fact it really did feel like we had the best seats in the house.
I loved the Candy Store right there in the theater itself. Its a tiny ‘old school’ sweet shop that sells the basics but is perfect if you’re not into lining up with the throngs during intermission.
The stage is impressive, I did hear that they had issues with it collapsing during some Mary Poppins performances. For me, it was ‘top draw’ stuff. The pit orchestra were perfectly placed and the acoustics were awesome.
If you haven’t been, get there. This is another Sydney ‘must’.

My first and only (so far) experience of the Capitol Theatre was when I went to see Mary Poppins show recently. I’ve been to a few theatres in London’s theatre haven of the West End and whilst they are all pretty neat in their own way I have to say Capitol Theatre is an Aussie dime. I walked in and was instantly in awe of the light blue coloured and lightly lit (like a light box you view for viewing film negatives). It kind of feels like you’re outside — certainly away from the busy nightlife and traffic whizzing past outside. The purples, golds and greens along with the antique looking lamps and staircase make the Capitol a very enchanting theatre indeed — a perfect choice for the equally enchanting stage show of Mary Poppins. The building itself started life in 1892 as the Belmore markets and you can see remnants of this with the fruit and foliage features in the spandrels of the arches.
My only criticism is that the toilets are few to many. The line at the break time was too long to get through all the people before the lights went down for act 2.
You’re also not allowed to take in snacks and drink bought from outside the theatre which I guess is pretty standard for most theatres and cinemas.