January 11, 2011

ST JAMES AUCKLAND 
Review gives new hope for decaying theatre  
By Bernard Orsman  
NZ Herald | Tuesday Jan 11, 2011  

The potential refurbishment of the St James Theatre – once one of Auckland’s premier venues, but now sliding into decay – has received a boost from Auckland Mayor Len Brown. Mr Brown has commissioned an update of a 2008 study into the city’s theatre needs.  

The study by consultants Horwath HTL, commissioned by the old Auckland City Council, concluded that there was “an urgent and high-priority need for a 250-350 seat flexiform theatre and a 500-600 seat drama theatre”. Since 2008, several factors have changed in the Auckland theatre scene, including efforts to save the St James, which has been closed since a fire in 2007 and is listed by the Historic Places Trust as category one. [More]