Thanks to a new 3D animation, it is now possible to time travel and visit Newcastle’s Victoria Theatre as it stood in 1891.

Launched this week, a 12-minute fly-through of a virtual recreation of the historic theatre allows viewers to experience the venue’s original stage, backstage areas, dressing rooms and some previously off-limits areas, including the Theatre Manager’s office.

Behind the curtains at the Victoria Theatre.

University of NSW’s Associate Professor Gillian Arrighi, who led the 18-month project, said the video also offers a unique immersive glimpse into the backstage workings of a late-19th century theatre, including its machinery, gas lighting system, fly mechanisms and the technology used to create stage illusions.

Viewers will also discover scenery from the venue’s first ever theatre show, the musical comedy Evangeline, which came to Newcastle direct from New York’s Broadway.

“Our artist hand painted all of the scenery pieces, as well as the decoration on the proscenium arch, using original sources before rendering them digitally,” Arrighi explained. “Every digital item has been created for this project.”

The Victoria Theatre in the 1890s.

The current Victoria Theatre, the...