New Theatre fighting to survive

The oldest continually producing theatre company in NSW, the New Theatre based in the inner west suburb of Newtown certainly has a fight on its hands.

It began last year when the City of Sydney ordered the community theatre to comply with new requirements for a Place of Public Entertainment (PoPE) license. The new requirements which involved an upgrade in fire exit and disabled access amount to $140,000 with the first $70,000 due imminently.

If you are connected with any email list or Facebook group, you will already be aware of the huge community interest this venture has generated. There are fund-raising days being held at the theatre, concerts organised and a big PR push to get the message out there to save the theatre.

Last Tuesday they had a big fundrasier at The Vanguard which featured musical performances from Catherine James, The Red Corvettes, some comic monologues and a cabaret performance by the brilliant Glace Chase.

Much like other worker's theatres, the New Theatre is a vital organ in Sydney's performing arts landscape providing a fertile training ground for new and emerging artists. It also provides a space for cutting edge local and international scripts to get an airing away from the more commercial theatres in Sydney.

Indeed, just over a year ago, the New Theatre was honoured by NIDA for its contribution to the Australian Performing Arts and 75 years of continuous production.

At this point I must declare that I have close associations with the theatre, having directed a full production there a couple of years ago.

Which certainly is a credit to them... anyone who engages me as a theatre director is certainly taking a risk with my penchant for totally obscure Eastern European plays. Needless to say, Box Office figures don't tend to follow me and suggestions I make to any independent theatre in Sydney have the artistic directors reaching for the valium as they imagine the loss of that new play I found in Novi Sad, Belgrade or Krakow.

The financial situation that the New Theatre suddenly finds itself in does bring up the question of diversifying funding sources. Just box office alone (especially when you engage someone like me) is not going to cut it anymore.

The New Theatre and its board could start making the space more multi-functional and expand its income streams even further. The fact that it sits on one of the most popular streets in Sydney and has its doors closed for the majority of that time is a huge waste of an opportunity.

One suggestion is to instigate a discussion with the council and organise a tender process to use the front street foyer space as a cafe or bar which could see the doors open, the community engaged and more importantly might see people spending more money in the theatre.

It could also give the theatre a simple means to publicise the shows and make the theatre accessible behind those huge and constantly locked front doors.

Just look at the image above. Open those doors, put some tables on the street like every other establishment along King Street, get some cafe guru to put a coffee machine in with simple and quick food and there you could have a few thousand dollars extra a week.

The days when a theatre was just a theatre, was just a theatre have died. And while you mention it, the Stables could probably do the same, so too the Darlinghurst Theatre.

There was a theatre venue I used to hang out at all the time when I was studying in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was a theatre, a gallery and a music venue. During the day it was cafe where you could have lunch and have a coffee or a beer and that was a major funding stream for them to run the space.

And with the new liquor licensing laws about to come in, the opportunity to start diversifying the use of the theatre spaces in this city has endless possibility. It's about engaging with the public on all levels and if the first introduction someone has to your theatre is through a bowl of pasta and a beer then bring it on. They may even come and buy a ticket to a show before you know it.

To make a tax deductible donation or for more information on how you can assist New Theatre, contact the Theatre Administrator, on (02) 9519 3403 or email newtheatre@bigpond.com

Image credit: P McCarthy