Swan Lake Australian Ballet 2012 Amber Scott in Swan Lake. Photo: Jeff Busby
Canberra is missing out on blockbuster national shows and can't compete with other cities because it lacks a modern theatre, the Australian Ballet's artistic director, David McAllister, has said.
The ballet company's stunning performances of Romeo and Juliet and new versions of Swan Lake that drew rapturous praise in other parts of Australia could not be staged in the ACT because of a lack of venue.
It lends credence to what the manager of the Canberra Theatre Centre, the Cultural Facilities Corporation, has been saying for years in its calls for a 2000-seat lyric theatre to be built in the ACT. The territory government investigated the possibility of a new theatre in 2008-09 and the project is likely to be back on the table soon.
Arts Minister Joy Burch promised new funding for a further feasibility study before the last election. Her office has since confirmed that the government would stand by its commitment to fund a $100,000 study to investigate the possibility of building the theatre and $650,000 for design work.
''This initiative includes a site-selection process,'' Ms Burch's office said in a statement.
''It will be in Civic and the current theatre precinct will certainly be one of the options considered, but the government will not pre-empt the outcome of this study.''
However, Mr McAllister said he would prefer to see the Canberra Theatre remodelled and remain at its current seating capacity rather than have to sell enough tickets to fill a 2000-seat venue, due to Canberra's small population base.
The Cultural Facilities Corporation, in its response to the Loxton Review of the Arts in Canberra, released in 2010, said Canberra had outgrown its theatre. It said the theatre was built 45 years ago to serve a population of 90,000, - a quarter of its current size.
''The board believes that the key gap in the ACT's arts infrastructure is the lack of a 2000-seat lyric theatre suitable for major touring productions,'' it said.
''This serious omission means that the Canberra community misses out on arts experiences that can only be presented in a venue of this size and sophistication, such as performances by the Australian Ballet and main stage productions by Opera Australia.
''There is no scope within the existing facility to rework the Canberra Theatre to be in keeping with current touring needs and capacities, let alone the requirements of the future.
''This means that the nation's capital will continue to fall behind each year (as it is already doing) in its capacity to attract and present the best of contemporary Australian and overseas performing arts - not a scenario in keeping with the capital city's implicit role and symbolic importance, let alone its ability to service its highly educated and broadly activist and diverse cultural communities.''
The Loxton report said audiences were also complaining about having to travel to other cities to see major operas and dance productions.
Canberra Symphony Orchestra chief executive Henry Laska said a new lyric theatre was needed if music was to thrive in the ACT.
''At the moment Llewellyn Hall is the only acoustically suitable venue for symphonic music,'' he said. ''The Canberra Theatre is not good for music because of the fly tower and the drapes and the carpet. They all affect the sound. You have to mic the space.
''If we had a 2000-seat lyric and the ballet and opera came here, from our point of view that would open up a lot of opportunities for the CSO to be involved from the orchestra pit, supporting the productions.''
Mr Laska said Llwellyn Hall was not ideally suited to large concerts because it had been designed as a teaching institution.
''The foyer on the upper level is quite small, so when we have a full house it becomes very, very crowded in the foyers,'' he said. ''There is also no cloakroom, so during winter people have to struggle into their seats with big coats.
''A purpose-built venue would fix all of that.''
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