The Domain theatre part of award-winning Marion Cultural Centre, in Adelaide's southern suburbs, from 2001

The Domain Theatre provided an intimate and flexibile performance space within the award-winning Marion Cultural Centre (inset). in Adelaide's southern suburbs.
Images courtesy City of Marion and ARM Architecture

The Domain, within the award-winning Marion Cultural Centre in Adelaide southern suburbs on Diagon Road, Oaklands Park, added another theatre space to the metropolitan area in 2001.

An intimate 280-seat performance space, The Domain’s flexibility made it ideal for all types of performance including, theatre, cabaret, comedy and dance. The venue for Southern Fringe, an Adelaide Fringe festival hub, The Domain could also be transformed for larger seminars, workshops, presentations, training sessions and expos.

The award-winning Marion Cultural Centre, designed by ARM Architecture and Phillips Pilkington Architects, received major architecture and design awards. Besides The Domain Theatre, the cultural centre housed a library art gallery, cafe, shop and meeting rooms – all highly used. This added to the backlash in 2018 when Marion Council considered replacing the centre with a proposed 15-storey hotel.

The Domain theatre was supported with the cultural centre by the adjoining Sturt Room, suitable for medium-sized workshops, training sessions, presentations and seminars. The Green Room also could be used as one large dressing room or divided into two smaller dressing rooms. The Foyer iwas a flexible, split-level, open space and the hub of the centre’s zones with links to the outside plaza space. It could operate as a main lobby/ reception area, with partial/ full exposure to the plaza or performance area with the steps providing an informal amphitheatre.