The Trinity Methodist Church is situated on the corner of Upper Stuart Street and Moray Place West, a block above the Octagon. A striking example of the Gothic Revival, the building was opened in 1870, and remained a place of worship until it was remodelled as the Fortune Theatre.
The plan of the building is that of a Latin cross. On the eastern corners are porches with quatrafoil ballustrading, and over-sized pinnacles crowning the buttresses below. There is an octagonal bell turret flanking the stage door on Stuart Street. The south-western corner has had a small addition to permit access from the basement dressing-rooms to the main stage area.
Construction is of tracyandesite and Oamaru stone – both local materials. The warm white Oamaru stone is used on the facings of decorative details, contrasting with the deep grey of the main structure to great effect. This striking combination has been utilised on many local buildings, notably the Dunedin Railway Station, which has recently been restored.
The church's architect was Scotsman R. A. Lawson (1833 – 1902), who was also responsible for designing Dunedin's major Presbyterian places of worship, First Church (Moray Place), and Knox Church (corner George and Pitt Streets).
Originally, in 1974, the Fortune was located in the 105-seat Otago Cine Club theatrette at the rear of the Athenaeum building in the Octagon. However, with the hiring of a full-time acting company in 1977, it became clear that the venue was too small to continue to be viable.
The quest for a suitable new venue led in early 1978 to the Trinity Methodist Church, which has been the company's base ever since – with the exception of a two-month spell at the Playhouse, following the great fire of 1979... but that's another story!
The Fortune Theatre carries a "B" classification from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, in recognition of its historic and architectural significance.
