Building a future

The renovated Theatre Royal carries the hopes and expectations of the people of Nelson, but it's the manager who has to make it work. Peter Gibbs reports.

Now the hoopla of the opening is over, Theatre Royal manager Janice Marthen is rolling up her sleeves and getting on with the job.

"I want to ensure that this extraordinary building is well and truly on the theatrical map in New Zealand," she says.

Marthen is well qualified for the task. Born in England, she grew up in Melbourne and trained as a journalist.

"A friend of mine was putting together the first Melbourne Comedy festival. It snowballed – they had comedians without end, so she gave me a call and said 'Can you just come in and knock out some press releases for me – I'm snowed under'. And I did.

"I ended up co-ordinating seven Melbourne comedy festivals and lots of other shows."

In 1993, Marthen, her husband and two children moved to Germany.

"I had loads of fun teaching German children English. It used to kill me, they'd sing along to the radio and they had no idea what they were singing and then they saw the translation of it and they'd look at me and say 'really – is that what they're singing?'."

The time came for their daughter to go to university, so the family moved again – this time to Sunderland in England's northeast.

Marthen dropped her CV into the Sunderland Empire Theatre. They liked what they saw and she spent six years there.

She also managed the Garland Theatre in Durham, but by 2004 it was time to escape the crush of England.

New Zealand's not Australia, but close enough. "Four million people, 20 million sheep – I like those odds."

Dunedin's Fortune Theatre beckoned. "I fell in love with New Zealand, the hills and mountains."

There she got involved in the production of plays – about 40 in the five years.

"Producing is something that I really enjoy doing – getting a project from the ground up, which is essentially like this theatre – in this case ensuring that the theatre is the show and it works right from the ground up."

Her expertise in getting shows on the stage in front of capacity crowds is something she's keen to put to good use here.

"I'd like to think that my many years of experience producing is going to help a lot of local artists – ideas around marketing and publicity – all of that. I've offered my help.

The fact that they are amateurs does not matter, she says. Production values, how you sell the show, budgeting – everything – it's about producing the best show possible.

"I'm here to help. To me, knowledge and experience should be shared."

But the job isn't just about taking bookings and helping with productions. Marthen is keen to attract new shows from all over the world – shows that couldn't previously come to Nelson.

"Fortunately, I know a lot of people, which is a huge advantage.

"Working with one of the five professional theatres in the country you pretty much know what everyone else is doing. You have to offer some diversity to your audience so they're not just seeing local work – it's good for local groups to compare their own work by what other people are doing – it's quite easy to become complacent.

"I know people in Australia, too. I want to get the word out – stretching the tentacles, as it were. I want to let people know we're here, we're back, and we have this extraordinary building."

The building was the real drawcard for Marthen. That, and the challenge of making it work.

It is some responsibility given the pride with which Nelsonians have greeted the restoration.

She says that everyone she talks to has a story about the theatre – about sitting through draughty rehearsals, the orchestra wearing gumboots to keep their feet dry, about dozens of small ballerinas pirouetting around the stage

"For me the passion is not letting it go, the passion in the auditorium, the restoration. The sound in there is extraordinary, the acoustic is beautiful and there is an enormous sense of history.

"The sense of those who have had a wonderful time there before you.

"It's about recreating all those wonderful times again. History is very, very important to me.

Marthen is enthusiastic about the parts of the future programme she has inherited.

"The arts festival is going to be very, very exciting. There's a lot of performances booked in to the theatre, very quick turnarounds."

But when all's said and done, Marthen wants to know what the audience – the people of Nelson – want. She has been working hard on website development. That is the most direct and convenient way for people to say want they think and what they want.

Check out upcoming shows, read stories about the theatre and get on the mailing list at theatreroyalnelson.co.nz.

As Marthen says: "I want the audience to talk to me through our website – everyone has a connection."

- © Fairfax NZ News