VENUE HISTORY

^{The elaborate King’s Theatre, built for Wollongong Theatres in 1925, operated continually until April 1965 when a progressive downturn in patronage which had begun in the early 1960s forced its closure. In December of the same year, the cinema briefly reopened, however as ticket takings failed to improve in July 1966, the cinema closed permanently (Parkinson 1995, 54-55).} 

^{In 1968 the building was adapted for roller-skating and continued to function in this capacity until the mid-1990s (Roe 2011).} 

^{In 2003, Illawarra businessman John Comelli purchased the vacant and deteriorating building. After extensive and costly renovations King’s reopened in 2007 renamed “Anita’s Theatre” after Comelli’s late wife. Since that date the theatre has played host to a number of concerts and live performances (Arnold 2010).} 

^{As of October 2022, Live Nation Australia Venues Pty Ltd has taken on the operations of Anita's Theatre. “Keeping venues, such as Anita’s Theatre, open is imperative to the ongoing growth of local Australian artists.” - Roger Field, president of Live Nation Asia Pacific.}