Albert Park, Brisbane

Albert Park, in Brisbane (which is now part of the Roma Street Parkland), was named in honour of Prince Albert (the husband of Queen Victoria). An open air amphitheatre (previously known as the "Albert Park Amphitheatre") had been a feature of Albert Park for a number of decades before the Roma Street Parkland was established. Plays are performed at the "Amphitheatre" by the Queensland Theatre Company and other theatre groups, with many plays by William Shakespeare having been performed at the amphithreatre. Other theatre productions, including orchestral concerts, have also been performed there. One such concert, in which the music was by Johann Strauss, was called "Strauss Beneath the Stars", which was presented in October, 1983.

During a night-time performance, at the "Albert Park Amphitheatre", of William Shakespeare's play, "Much Ado About Nothing" (which had been reset in Italy during World War II), an airliner flew over the amphitheatre. Bille Brown, who was alone on stage at the time in the character of Benedick, stopped his soliloquy in mid-sentence and walked to the edge of the stage and looked up at the airliner. He then looked directly at the audience and said "reassuringly": "It's okay, it's one of ours - Alitalia!".

The Lord Mayor's Christmas Carols, Brisbane's Carols by Candlelight concerts, were held at the Albert Park Amphitheatre before the River Stage was built in the grounds of the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens.

External links

* [http://www.ausstage.edu.au/indexdrilldown.jsp?xcid=59&f_venue_id=128&f_event_id=321 Albert Park Amphitheatre] - plays presented at the amphitheatre (incomplete listing)

* [http://www.romastreetparkland.com/history.asp Roma Street Parkland] - the history of Roma Street Parkland

* [http://www.romastreetparkland.com/06_AboutUs/historyEBrochure.pdf Roma Street Parkland] - Historical overview of Roma Street Parkland (.pdf file)