Source : the age
In the heart of Sydney’s CBD lies a 158-year-old deconsecrated church that has fostered the careers of many creative pilgrims, including Australian director Baz Luhrmann. Previously operating as the Genesian Theatre – and before that, a poorhouse, the Kursaal Theatre and the first Matthew Talbot Hostel – it now has a new calling.
The Unholy Playhouse, as it will now be known, is carrying the theatre’s legacy on Sydney’s Kent Street by becoming a performance and creative arts space – but fused with a nightclub.
As popular late-night venues in Sydney struggle to stay afloat with punters easing spending and young people drinking less amid the cost-of-living crisis, the new space indicates a push towards non-traditional venues and experimental experiences not solely based around alcohol.
It will host an array of events, such as late-night cabaret, gospel choirs, live exorcisms, a DJ school, show-tune singalong nights, and even a Harry Potter “caba-rave” (a burlesque circus and hybrid of cabaret and rave).
Built in 1868 as St John’s Church and owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, the building was sold to developers in 2017, and the theatre was relocated to Rozelle in 2024. As one of the oldest remaining churches in the city, the heritage-listed building stands mostly untouched. The warehouse directly adjacent to the church is slated to undergo a $55 million redevelopment to become a 16-storey tower with 25 luxury apartments.
When developers decided to rent out the church, it coincided perfectly for Kat Dopper, the owner of events company Heaps Gay, who was looking for her next fringe-style pop-up event space. “I flipped through Realestate.com.au after getting back from a holiday and feeling inspired, and believe it or not, churches are for lease,” Dopper said.
“It was just really fortuitous that that day I flicked every page … and I’d called a bunch of venues, some warehouses, actually another church in Redfern, and then this one [the real estate agent] was like, ‘Yeah, I’m into a pop-up. Come down and have a look’.”
Dopper said the building’s development application “predates the planning system”, meaning its existing use rights remain valid, and it is currently listed for entertainment. The space comes with two ghosts that previous theatre members claimed made regular appearances backstage and beside the proscenium arch.
The Genesian’s stage was trodden by actors including Angela Punch McGregor, Bryan Brown, Peter Carroll and Judi Farr.
The list also includes actor and director John Bell, playwright and director Nick Enright and writer and academic Coral Lansbury, mother of former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Michael Schell, who joined in 1973, said Baz Luhrmann’s “first time ever on stage” was at the Genesian.
“The Genesian Theatre was there for 70 years, so imagine how many artists have stepped onto that stage,” Dopper said. “I don’t know how to articulate it for everyone else, but for me, I’m grateful. I’m kind of still in shock that we’ve got the keys.”
Following the closure of Sydney’s only lesbian bar, The Bearded Tit, Dopper hopes the Unholy Playhouse will fill a vital gap as an inclusive, late-night dance floor for the queer community.
“It was one of those like really lucky finds, actually,” she said.
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Kayla Olaya is a culture reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
