October 19, 2016

AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY choice of opening show

Bill Sheat             posted 8 Feb 2016, 05:17 PM

Dear Colleagues, 

I have only just found out to my dismay that The Auckland Theatre Company is to open its new $40 million home with a West End musical ‘Billy Elliot’. Surely this was the opportunity for a prestigious season of a New Zealand play or even the commissioning of a new play by a New Zealand author.

When the Mercury was opened all those years ago its imported English director, Tony Richardson chose J.M.Barrie’s “The Admirable Chrichton”.

Much scorn was spilled back then although, in some strange way Richardson’s choice reflected the then tastes of Auckland theatregoers.

But that was over 40 years ago.

Shame on you Auckland Theatre Company!

Bill Sheat

roger hall             posted 8 Feb 2016, 05:33 PM

Bill Sheat’s dismay at ATC’s choice of play (Billy Elliot) to open their new 600 seat theatre is all very well, but let’s look at what other NZ theatres opened with. over the years. Wellington’s record is no better than Auckland”s.

 Downstage opened with Exit The King, and when they moved to the Hannah Playhouse it was with  with a Shakespeare; Circa opened with David Hare’s Knuckle and when they moved to their current building, it was with Angels in America. Court opened with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie;  Only Fortune, when they moved to their current premises, did a NZ play, Middle Age Spread.

Should ATC have commissioned a play to mark the event? It would be a crazy risk. Most commissioned plays for NZ Festivals don’t do well in their first season; certainly not well enough to guarantee a decent audience.

Billy Elliot seems a sensible choice to encourage audiences  not only to a new, large, venue but a new location.

Roger Hall

John Smythe      posted 8 Feb 2016, 05:39 PM / edited 9 Feb 2016, 12:30 PM

Should we therefore anticipate that the Damocles Sword of a 600-seat theatre will be used to justify only ‘safe’ NZ plays? I would have thought that the ‘event’ nature of the grand opening would be an ideal opportunity for the ATC to tell us that – as our most richly taxpayer-funded theatre – NZ work is their top priority.

roger hall             posted 9 Feb 2016, 09:48 AM

another reason why it makes sense for ATC to do Billy Elliot is to make sure no overseas company brings a production of it for a lenghty run at The Civic. Whilst for theatregoers, it is great to be able to see full-scale musicals, from the local industry’s pov they do mop up a huge amount of people’s discretionary spending. Mary Poppins, for example, ran for about two months despite its $160 ticket cost (no reduction for children).

Better, surely, for local theatres to be able to put on as many shows like this as they can, giving employment to local performers and technicians.

“Safe” NZ plays. Hmmm, not so many years ago, there was no such thing.

Roger Hall

John Smythe      posted 9 Feb 2016, 12:35 PM

On your last point, Roger, I’d say there was no such thing as a ‘safe’ bet fullstop. There have been many award-winning plays from overseas that have dome mediocre box-office here. It has been said that when it comes to attracting people away from screen entertainment the biggest risk is to take no risk at all.

Bill Sheat             posted 11 Feb 2016, 01:35 PM / edited 12 Feb 2016, 09:52 AM

Not only has Roger Hall sprung to the defence of ATC but I have had a similar response from Dean Parker.  Two heavy weights against me. As for the need to attract people to the new venue, I would have thought that the venue was an attraction in itself that all Auckland theatregoers would bequeuing up to go to. As ATC has built up its audinces on a diet of vintage musicals – “Little Shop of Horrors” (1982), “Chicago”(1975) and Guys and Dolls”(1950) perhaps there is a risk in exposing them to the shock of the new.

Bill Sheat             posted 14 Feb 2016, 09:00 PM

I meant to reply earlier to Roger Hall’s reference to the openings of Downstage, Circa. Fortune as having  overseas plays and that there is therefore ample precedent for playing it safe with “Billy Elliott”. None of those choices was a commercial musical. Also. as I pointed out in my original posting referring to “The Admiable Crichton”, that was a long time ago. At the risk of stating the obvious –  2016 is the second half of the second decade of the 21st Century. Perhaps Creative New Zealand could have volunteered a handsome sum for a commission and the first production. After all it found a mysterious Capital Grants Fund from which to grant ATC $3,000,000 for its new theatre and then promptly closed the fund so that no-one else could apply.

roger hall             posted 15 Feb 2016, 01:49 PM

Since Bill still thinks ATC is wrong not to have a NZ show to open their new premises with in October, then I’m still going to defend the decision.

The first is that ATC have now established that time of year for their annual musical.  So they’re going to do a musical.  If you establish a theatrical pattern (as Court has also done with their musicals, Circa with pantos), then it’s bad practice to break that pattern.

I’m not sure how much people outside of Auckland (or even those who live here)  realise the amount of  theatre that is on in any given week.

Right now Phantom of the Opera is on at the 2000 plus seater Civic; The Book of Everything and Daffodils at Q Theatre (both re-runs of highly successful productions) ; Polo at Sky City (700 seats) . Several shows on at  The Basement The pop-up Globe Theatre (900 spaces)  is about to open with eight Shakespeare productions over ten weeks.

When you add on the numerous concerts, recitals and dance performances, there is always huge competition for the entertainment dollar.

So would you risk a new untried work to fill a 600 seat theatre for a whole season? It’s hard enough to run in any new play; even harder when you have to run in a new theatre at the same time.

How about now waiting until ATC announces their full season for next year before commenting (or not) on how appropriate their programme is.

Best

Roger

Corin Havers       posted 15 Feb 2016, 06:49 PM

Theatres now budget to fill every seat? How on earth then will any new NZ – or ‘risky’ – play be able to measure up?

And you think it will be harder to “run in” a new ATC venue?  I would have thought – in fact I’m certain – that the novelty of the place will make it easier.

Hilary Penwarden            posted 7 Mar 2016, 01:43 PM

I agree with Bill and want to thank him for bringing the subject up on this forum. The choice of show is a clear missed opportunity to show value for New Zealand plays (and, more importantly, increase value for NZ plays).

Graham Atkinson             posted 17 Oct 2016, 11:53 PM

OK Roger, ATC have now released their programme for 2017 (well programme to Sept 2017) and as far as I can see we have 1 and a 1/2 weeks of Eli Kent’s “Peer Gynt (recycled)” in early March (presumably during the Arts Festival), 2 weeks of Briar Grace-Smith’s “When Sun and Moon Collide” at the end of June and two weeks of a Roger Hall “Last legs” mid September.

I am assuming that the seasons are planned to run for longer than this – well at leats I hope so – and that the aim is to force all the subscribers into the first two weeks.

Add in Shaffer’s “Amadeus” and another work set in the 17th century “Nell Gwynn” (again only scheduled in the subscription book for two weeks each) and one has to wonder at the justification for the substantial subsidy allegedly aimed at encouraging indigenous theatre (to qoute Creative New Zealand’s own boastings).

What disturbs me is that Colin McColl was once among the foremost boosters of new New Zealand writing and inovative programming and yet here in Auckland, theoretically at the cutting edge of New Zealand culture, the ATC is offering a very narrow rable.

roger hall             posted 19 Oct 2016, 04:35 PM

I think you would have to ask Eli and Grace to see whether they would prefer a short season at ATC or a longer one elsewhere.

ATC’s capacity is 668 seats.

Peer Gynt (recycled) is having 11 performances (i.e potential audience of 7348).

When Sun and Moon Collide is having 14 performances (potential audience 9352).

Last Legs is getting 15 performances (10,020).

I’d be surprised if any of us is unhappy with this.

By the end of the season, the much-maligned (by many outside Auckland) choice of Billy Elliot to open the new theatre will have been seen by tens of thousands of patrons. For many of them, especially the young, it might be their first experience of live theatre. Whatever, to have that number as a base for future ticket sales is a tremendous foundation. I can’t think of any NZ play or musical that could have come anywhere near attracting that number of people.

 Roger H