Adelaide Festival Centre

It was a glamorous night, with local and national celebrities launching a new era in South Australian arts and entertainment. That was the opening night concert for the Adelaide Festival Centre - 25 years ago. After three years in the building, the Festival Centre complex opened to invited guests and a live television audience on Channel Nine's Adelaide Tonight. To celebrate the Centre's 25th anniversary, next Sunday will be an open day. One of the highlights, "A Very Special Experience", is a collection of theatrical memorabilia displayed in the Festival Theatre foyer.

The Centre also has self guided tours that take you through the Festival Theatre, Optima Playhouse and the Space Theatre. You can wander through at your own pace and soak in the atmosphere and chat to the experts along the way. If you want to catch up on some theatrical gossip, head backstage to the dressing rooms. The corridors are decorated with photographs taken by Heather Blewett. Heather has spent 22 years on the stage door of the Festival Theatre, befriending the stars as shows come and go. For the last 12 years she's been snapping shots of anyone who stands still long enough and her handy work fills the Centres long corridors. The collection makes a great talking point for visitors and actors alike.

If you fancy yourself treading the boards in the Festival Theatre, you can experience the feeling of standing centre stage in an auditorium seating almost 2000 people. Though you'd be hoping for a full house on your opening night ! Sound and lighting technicians will reveal the secrets behind the illusions they create. And if you've wondered how the scenery flies in and out, all will be revealed. You can have a regular tour of the Adelaide Festival Centre on most days. It costs $2.50 per person and you can phone 8216 8600 for details or email: info@postcards.sa.com.au. The Adelaide Festival Centre open day is next Sunday, May the 24th. It's on between 12 noon and 5pm, and it's free.