Como Theatre
A heritage-listed inter-war cinema in Como, Western Australia, now operating independently as The Revival House.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Como Theatre is a historic cinema at 16 Preston Street in Como, a riverside suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Opened on 4 March 1938, it was built for local film entrepreneur James Stiles and his Grand Theatre Company during a period when cinema was expanding rapidly from central Perth into suburban communities. The venue was purpose-built for sound films, commonly called talkies, and was promoted as one of the most modern cinemas serving the districts immediately south of Perth. Its opening reflected both the popularity of cinema as inexpensive entertainment during the Great Depression and the growth of Como and neighbouring South Perth as desirable residential and recreation areas. The building was designed by William T. Leighton, a prominent Western Australian cinema architect, and constructed by W. H. Ralph and Sons. It is an important example of the Inter-War Functionalist style, incorporating streamlined curves, smooth geometric surfaces, tubular metal rails and nautical references. The central tower originally housed a projection booth, or bio box, that served both an enclosed auditorium and an outdoor picture garden. A cantilevered balcony, porthole-like windows and the building’s horizontal forms created an ocean-liner effect characteristic of late 1930s modernist cinema design. The original lettering identifying the building as The Como Theatre remains around the former projection-tower area despite subsequent changes of name. The cinema opened in a district that already had a modest history of film exhibition. Earlier venues included screenings at Swan Street Hall, the Gaiety Picture Theatre and the Hurlingham Picture Theatre. Como Theatre nevertheless offered a newer and more technologically advanced experience, and its location benefited from tram and ferry connections as well as the popularity of Como Beach. The venue’s outdoor picture garden was a distinctive part of its original operation, but changing audience habits and the spread of television placed pressure on suburban cinemas after the 1950s. During the 1960s the venue was renamed Cygnet Theatre, linking it to the black swan imagery associated with the Festival of Perth. The foyer and entrance were rearranged in 1964, and air conditioning was installed in October 1968 as the cinema attempted to respond to competition from television. The outdoor picture garden was demolished within a year. Further auditorium alterations took place in 1981, including the removal of front-stall seating and the realignment of remaining seats. Como Theatre’s architectural and cultural significance has led to several heritage recognitions. The National Trust of Western Australia classified it in 1988 under the Cygnet Theatre name. It was added to the former Register of the National Estate in 1998 and is included in the City of South Perth’s municipal heritage inventory. It was permanently entered on the State Register of Heritage Places on 30 June 1995. A Heritage Council grant in 2004 supported preparation of a conservation plan. In 2018, approximately A$2.5 million was spent on safety and building works after the western wall and ceilings were considered at risk of collapse. The building has also remained part of Perth’s visual culture. In 2013, American street artist Nils Westergard painted a portrait of Alfred Hitchcock on the western exterior wall. Following the entry into administration of Grand Cinemas in December 2022, the venue became independent and adopted the operating name The Revival House. Its subsequent programming has focused on older films presented on 16 mm and 35 mm film, giving the heritage venue a specialized preservation-oriented identity rather than operating solely as a conventional first-run multiplex. The historic Como Theatre name remains central to the site’s architectural and heritage identity.
History
Como Theatre was developed in 1938 by James Stiles, a local real-estate figure who had entered the cinema business through the Grand Theatre Company. Stiles’s move into film exhibition was partly connected with the need to protect the Grand Theatre after the financial shock of the 1929 stock-market crash. As inexpensive entertainment became increasingly popular during the Depression, the company expanded, modernised existing venues and secured a ten-year lease on Perth’s Piccadilly Theatre. Como Theatre was one of the company’s major suburban developments. The cinema was designed by William T. Leighton and built by W. H. Ralph and Sons. Leighton had established a reputation for designing and refurbishing cinemas in Perth, including the Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade, the Windsor Theatre, the Astor Theatre and other venues connected with the Grand Theatre Company. Como Theatre was officially opened on 4 March 1938 by G. V. Abjornson, chairman of the South Perth Road Board. The venue’s opening coincided with the development of Como as a respectable riverside suburb and with the popularity of Como Beach as a family recreation destination. Transport links, including trams and ferries, helped draw patrons from beyond the immediate neighbourhood. Although earlier picture shows had operated in nearby halls and theatres, Como Theatre was promoted as a modern purpose-built venue and was among the first purpose-built sound cinemas in the suburban districts immediately south of Perth. Its original design included an indoor auditorium and an outdoor picture garden operated from a single mechanised projection booth. The building’s streamlined curves, nautical motifs, tubular rails and porthole windows express the Inter-War Functionalist style. The projection tower was both a practical element and a major architectural feature: film canisters could be lifted from street level to the projection balcony, while the booth served both indoor and outdoor audiences. The site underwent several changes as cinema technology and audience behaviour evolved. It was renamed Cygnet Theatre during the 1960s, apparently to associate the venue with the black swan symbol used by the Festival of Perth. The entry and foyer were rearranged in 1964. Air conditioning was installed in October 1968 in an effort to make cinema more competitive with television, but patronage continued to decline and the outdoor picture garden was demolished within the following year. In 1981, the front stalls were removed and the remaining seats were realigned. Recognition of the building’s heritage value developed over several decades. The National Trust of Western Australia classified it in 1988 as the Cygnet Theatre. It was permanently listed on the State Register of Heritage Places on 30 June 1995, entered on the former Register of the National Estate in 1998 and included in the City of South Perth’s municipal inventory. A Heritage Council grant in 2004 assisted with conservation planning. The building later required extensive safety work, with approximately A$2.5 million spent in 2018 after structural concerns affected the western wall and ceilings. The cinema has also been used as a canvas for public art. In summer 2013, American street artist Nils Westergard painted Alfred Hitchcock on the western exterior wall. This intervention added a contemporary film-related layer to the building’s historic identity. In December 2022, Grand Cinemas entered administration. The Como venue subsequently became independent and adopted The Revival House as its operating name. Its programming shifted toward older films shown on 16 mm and 35 mm, positioning the site as a revival and repertory cinema while retaining the Como Theatre building and its heritage significance. The venue’s current identity therefore combines the historic Como Theatre name, the former Cygnet Cinema association and the independent Revival House operation.
- 2022
Independent Revival House operation begins
[1]Following Grand Cinemas entering administration, the venue became independent and began operating as The Revival House.
- 2018
Building safety works completed
[1]Major works were undertaken after the western wall and ceilings were judged to present safety risks.
- 2013
Alfred Hitchcock mural added
[1]Street artist Nils Westergard painted a portrait of Alfred Hitchcock on the western exterior wall.
- 1998
National heritage register entry
[1]Como Theatre was entered on the former Register of the National Estate.
- 1995
State heritage registration
[1]The building was permanently entered on the State Register of Heritage Places on 30 June.
- 1988
National Trust classification
[1]The National Trust of Western Australia classified the building under the Cygnet Theatre name.
- 1981
Auditorium seating altered
[1]Front-stall seats were removed and the remaining seating was realigned.
- 1968
Air conditioning installed
[1]Air conditioning was installed in October as the cinema responded to declining patronage and competition from television.
- 1964
Entrance and foyer rearranged
[1]The entry doors were moved westward and the former entrance area was incorporated into the confectionery counter.
- 1960
Venue renamed Cygnet Theatre
[1]During the 1960s the cinema adopted the Cygnet Theatre name, associated with the black swan imagery of the Festival of Perth.
Products and positioning
A heritage cinema and independent revival-film venue distinguished by its 1930s Inter-War Functionalist architecture, historic projection facilities and classic-film programming.
Cinema exhibition · 1938
Como Theatre cinema screenings
The venue’s core offering is film exhibition in a purpose-built 1938 auditorium. Historically it screened mainstream sound films for suburban audiences and operated with both an indoor auditorium and an outdoor picture garden. The theatre’s exhibition role has continued through successive names and operators.
Repertory cinema · 2022
The Revival House
The independent operating identity adopted after Grand Cinemas entered administration in 2022. The Revival House presents older films and uses 16 mm and 35 mm film formats, emphasizing analogue projection, film history and the atmosphere of a historic cinema building.
Former cinema identity · 1960
Cygnet Theatre
The name used from the 1960s, connecting the venue with the black swan imagery associated with the Festival of Perth. Although the cinema later reverted to the Como Theatre identity in heritage references, Cygnet remains an important historical name for the site.
Brand decisions
2022
Transition to independent Revival House operationStrategyBackground
Grand Cinemas entered administration in December 2022, creating a change in the operating structure of the venue.
Action taken
The cinema separated from the former operator and began operating independently as The Revival House, with a focus on older films shown on 16 mm and 35 mm.
Aftermath
The venue adopted a specialist revival-cinema position while continuing to operate from the heritage-listed Como Theatre building.
1960
Adopt the Cygnet Theatre nameStrategyBackground
The venue was renamed during the 1960s as cinema operators sought a stronger association with the black swan imagery of the Festival of Perth.
Action taken
The Como Theatre name was replaced in public use by Cygnet Theatre, although original Como lettering remained on the building.
Aftermath
The Cygnet identity became part of the site’s heritage history and continued to appear in heritage classifications.
Recent events
- 2022
Grand Cinemas administration leads to independent operation[1]
Bankruptcy · Leadership change
After Grand Cinemas entered administration in December 2022, the venue separated from the operator and began operating independently under the name The Revival House.
- 2018
Major safety works undertaken at Como Theatre[1]
Other
Approximately A$2.5 million was spent on works intended to make the building safe after concerns about the western wall and ceilings.
- 2004
Heritage Council funds conservation planning for Como Theatre[1]
Other
The Heritage Council of Western Australia provided a A$4,500 grant to support preparation of a conservation plan for the historic cinema.
Sources1 sources
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