Like many renovations, Dunedin's Globe Theatre revamp has had its twists and turns as plans have changed and deadlines shifted. Rebecca Fox discovers the show must go on.
It might be chaos behind the scenes, but the actors and crew at the Globe Theatre, in London St, are not going to let that influence opening night.
As the public spaces will be ready for when the curtain opens on The Importance of Being Earnest in a week, the show will go ahead.
After a season performing out of the Athenaeum while the $550,000 structural renovations and earthquake strengthening got under way, the Globe's supporters could not wait to get ‘‘home''.
While they had hoped the first show of the year would be a gala performance enabling them to show off the newly refurbished theatre and backstage areas, a few changes to their plans meant that had been delayed.
Friends of the Globe chairwoman Rosemary Beresford said at the end of last year it was decided to also do a complete overhaul of the toilet block rather than just a patch-up job.
Unfortunately, that meant a delay as consents had to be filed, not to mention the extra time to complete the work, which included a large disabled access toilet which would also give actresses in large period costumes somewhere easier to manoeuvre.
‘‘There will be more privacy and lockable doors.''
Disability access to the theatre was also being extended by a new boardwalk, due to be finished this week.
‘‘Fingers and toes crossed. It'll make the entrance much more attractive. Then we'll trim the trees and tidy the garden.''
Thankfully, the work replacing the leaky theatre roof and east wall was complete and the walls of the theatre had been insulated and relined, making it a much warmer place to be, she said.
‘‘The walls were wet [before the work]. Interestingly, those who have been involved a long time have commented how much fresher the air seems. It is much more pleasant.''
They had repainted the walls and also had the foyer area redone after it was discovered the joists under the floor were rotten.
It had also allayed another ever-present fear before the work was done: that the audience would get rained on.
The main reason for the renovation work was to tackle the source of leaks that had been plaguing the theatre for years, the join between the theatre and house and its octagonal ceiling which had to be completely rebuilt.
‘‘There won't be that constant concern if we have a rainy week and we won't have to pull a blue tarp over the seats every night.''
Another positive side-effect of the renovation work was the need to empty out the bulging wardrobe of period costumes in the upstairs master bedroom so its window could be repaired.
‘‘We discovered it's a room with beautiful proportions so we've had a major wardrobe cull and reorganised.''
They decided not to put the wardrobe back, instead opening it up for rehearsals and meetings.
‘‘It means we can have rehearsals upstairs, while a production is going on downstairs.''
However, given the work had continued through to this week, it meant there was no way the Friends were going to be able to put the backstage areas to rights in time.
Many of the rooms were full of props and furniture which had to be moved from areas requiring work, not to mention being covered in building dust.
It had also meant the cast and crew had been rehearsing in less than ideal situations.
‘‘It's been difficult. We've got all the foyer in here [backstage]. They've had to rehearse around paint cans and building gear.''
There had also been nowhere to make a cup of coffee as the kitchen was right next to the toilet block construction.
‘‘Despite this, the cast has been working incredibly hard to get the humour out of every line. It's very, very funny. It could be played a different way but it was written as sheer fun.''
All the work had meant they had to choose the first play of the season carefully and The Importance of Being Earnest fitted the bill, she said.
It only required a simple set of a black curtained backdrop and 19th-century furniture which one of the Globe members had loaned.
Written by Oscar Wilde, the play, after Shakespeare's Hamlet, was one of the most quoted plays in the Western world, she said.
‘‘It will appeal to the traditional audience and it's a play done by all the schools so there is a younger audience.''
The exercise had also cheered the Friends as the support for the project had been overwhelming from both private individuals, many of whom had associations with the theatre from years gone by, and organisations.
They had been surprised in some cases to be offered more than they had asked for, making the work they needed to do more achievable, she said.
‘‘It's a nice position to be in. It's heartening to know how much of a special place and effect this place has had on so many people.''
Once work is complete and the Friends have put the backstage area to rights again, they will take a breather before embarking on their next big fundraising project, the house repair.
‘‘That is the much bigger task as it's the 19th-century historical part.''
