media release Friday 24 October 2025
After many years of community controversy and general unrest, the iconic Regent Theatre on Church Street Mudgee has been purchased by a pair of passionate theatre and heritage buffs. Local resident, Alan Kerr, and his good friend, Mark Hoddinott, have tried to purchase the theatre a number of times in the past due to their concern with respect to the building’s overall deterioration and general decline.
“For us, it has almost been a case of ‘always the bridesmaid’ but we don’t give up easily and we wanted to have one more go at purchasing the theatre”, Mr Kerr said. This time it was third time lucky as they were successful in the recent Expression of Interest process. Both Mr Kerr and Mr Hoddinott have a long and successful history of community involvement and successful business management.
The Regent Theatre opened its doors to the Mudgee region in 1935 and was owned by the local Suttor family for most of the 20th Century before closing in 2007. The Regent is one of the very few intact art deco theatres left in regional NSW and is covered by a State Heritage Order.
Mr Kerr and Mr Hoddinott have formed a company, Mudgee Heritage Investments Pty Ltd, to restore the Regent as a working theatre and community space. Since 2007 various owners have proposed a number of different uses for the theatre, including a controversial redevelopment as accommodation and even partial demolition. Mr Kerr & Mr Hoddinott plan to restore the Theatre as a performance space, recommence a cinema, and maximise the use of the venue for conferences and other complementary activities.
“The goal is to re-establish this important piece of heritage infrastructure for the citizens of the Region and its visitors,” said Mr Kerr.
To resurrect the theatre, the Company will work closely with the Mid-Western Regional Council and the Heritage Council of NSW. “We have no illusions about this being a challenging and time-consuming project, especially as we want to restore the building to its former glory, yet at the same time ensure it is compliant and accessible for our community”, Mr Kerr said.
Initial planning for renovation and repair is under way, and it is forecast that it will be at least 24 months before the theatre operates again. Unfortunately, the building suffers from extensive internal deterioration with the ceiling needing completely replacing, significant damage caused by pigeon infestations and some damage caused by vandalism over the years. Fire safety provision and disability access will also need to be updated to meet compliance standards.
“Once fully complete It is envisaged that the theatre will play a strategic & extensive role in the community. Additionally, the goal 5 years down the track, once it is fully restored, operationally sound, & fully profitable, is to return the ownership of this important heritage asset back to the community through the creation of a Community Trust. We don’t want it to fall into disrepair again as Mudgee deserves to have this asset protected in perpetuity”, said Mr Kerr.
“No doubt the progress of the theatre’s transformation will be followed closely by our community and we look forward to sharing all the steps we take via our Facebook page (soon to be established). We encourage everyone to join our page for regular updates, and we also plan to hold a number of community meetings to inform people about our project vision along with the construction phases of the redevelopment” Mr Kerr said today.
No doubt the Mudgee community will be following this project closely in anticipation of attending the iconic Mudgee Regent Theatre once the restoration is complete.
IMAGE: Inside the Mudgee Regent Theatre, source: First National Real Estate Mudgee
