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When Wollongong property developer John Comelli sold his beloved Anita's Theatre in 2011 to pay off debts, he told the media he had spent $6 million on the fit-out. With its ornate light fittings, detailed wall and ceiling paintings, plush furnishings and bespoke mosaic tiling on the foyer's pillars, the expense shows. "It's just absolutely incredible detail that you can't replicate — he was obviously quite a visionary to be able to do that and pull it all together to deliver this magnificent theatre for the people of the Illawarra," venue manager Bob Mangan said. "Every fixture, every fitting that was selected was chosen for a reason, and it was high-end as well — the taps and the mirrors in the bathrooms make it one of the most Instagrammable toilets in Australia. "We pinch ourselves that we get to work here." Cinema to skating rink to bold vision On Wednesday, the theatre celebrates 100 years, and while it has lived three lives — as a movie cinema, roller-skating rink and live music theatre — it has always been an entertainment space. When it operated as a skating rink, the concrete floor sat 2 metres below the wooden floorboards of today's auditorium. Mr Comelli bought the venue, then known as the Kings Theatre, in 2003 and renamed it in honour of his wife, Anita, who died during the refurbishment in 2005. It was taken over by receivers and sold in 2011, then sold again in 2013, before being bought by entertainment giant Live Nation in 2022. 'When you're on stage, you can feel the history of the place' Wollongong musician Darren Coggan has played Anita's Theatre four times. One more show and he will be added to a new "Encore Club" — a group of performers who have played the venue at least five times. "As soon as you walk in there, you're immersed in this very theatrical world," he said. "You can feel the history of the place, and I think of the thousands of performers that have trod those same boards when I stand on that stage." Australian cover band Hindley Street Country Club will be the first inductees into the Encore Club and will perform during the theatre's week of birthday celebrations. "The sense of history in the room is undeniable," band member Constantine Delo said. "It's one of those venues that reminds you why you fell in love with live music, and being recognised as part of its 100-year history is a real honour." Venue for local and international acts alike Coggan said the theatre struck a balance between providing a supportive and unique venue for local musicians as well as an attractive stop-off for bigger acts in a regional area. Many international bands that tour Australia's capital cities now add a show at Anita's Theatre. "You don't have to go to Sydney or Melbourne with flights, accommodation, and all that kind of stuff — you can literally go around the corner and you're seeing the same shows that you see in the capital cities," he said. "I know my daughter is embarking on a career in the arts as a singer songwriter, and to have venues like that at your doorstep that are well facilitated and have a great team behind them … we're very blessed and I hope it continues for another 100 years."
