The W.A. Museum of Performing Arts is Western Australia’s premier museum dedicated to the state’s stage and entertainment history.
It was established in 1984 by local actor and theatre historian Ivan King OAM, and officially opened as WA’s first performing arts museum in 2001.
It houses nearly 50,000 catalogued items, including historic costumes, the Ruth Tarvydas fashion gown collection, rare handbills, programs, press clippings, scripts, musical scores, and stage photographs.
Displays are integrated throughout His Majesty’s Theatre—Australia’s only remaining working Edwardian theatre
The MOPA: The King Collection (formerly the W.A. Museum of Performing Arts)
Address: His Majesty’s Theatre, 827-905 Hay St (or 825 Hay St), Perth WA 6000
Online Catalogue: You can browse the collection directly through the Museum of Performing Arts Online Catalogue.
MOPA: The King Collection is home to the heritage and stories of His Majesty’s Theatre and Western Australia’s rich performing arts history.
MOPA: The King Collection, FKA The Museum of Performing Arts, features more than 40,000 online catalogued items of theatre memorabilia, detailing the rich and exciting history of His Majesty’s, collected by the theatre’s historian, Ivan King OAM.
Items such as photographs, press clippings, scripts, scores and other historical pieces are exhibited online at the Museum of Performing Arts website.
Parts of the Collection can be found throughout our historical theatre.
To view these displays, visit us on Monday to Friday between 11:00 am to 2:00 pm for a 30-minute tour at $5 per person to hear the history, view the auditorium, foyers and Museum of Performing Arts memorabilia. For a deeper look behind the scenes, book onto one of our specialised venue tours where you can uncover the history, anecdotes and untold stories of His Majesty’s Theatre.
To access the extensive collection of archival production photographs, visit the Museum of Performing Arts website.
