However, the man heading up the organisation says there is life left in it yet.
Several speakers at a Dunedin City Council hearing yesterday about its 2025-34 long-term plan criticised the council for its proposal to ditch a previously agreed $17.1 million capital spend on developing a mid-sized venue.
Cindy Diver — representing Theatreworks Ltd, interACT drama classes and Wow! Productions Trust — was one.
She spoke of betrayal, saying the council had "taken away our hope".
Ms Diver said there was strong alignment in the sector about what was needed.
"Stage South, Wow!, interACT, Playhouse, [the New Athenaeum Theatre (NAT)] — we all want the same thing, for there to be a future for the arts in Dunedin."
She wanted a new build, and for Te Whare o Rukutia to be funded by the council in the meantime.
"We do support the DCC helping keep the Playhouse Theatre alive for our children," she said.
"We do support the DCC helping the NAT continue to provide small-space theatre for us.
"And we do not support any more money being put into that dead hedgehog, the Mayfair.
"It would be a money sink that the city cannot afford — let it go."
The Mayfair has been criticised by Stage South and professional theatre practitioners as a dated, inflexible facility.
Mayfair Charitable Trust chairman Geoff Patton said the King Edward St theatre remained an important asset.
"It fills that 400-seat theatre gap," he said.
"I know the professional people absolutely hate the Mayfair, but it’s there — they could adapt and learn to live with it."
Mr Patton said redeveloping the Mayfair could be done at "roughly" a third of what it might cost to build a new venue.
An estimate of about $13m for a Mayfair upgrade included a significant contingency component, he said.
Professional theatre practitioner Jeremy Anderson said it seemed consensus at last had been reached that the city needed a purpose-built professional theatre, as well as that there was value in ensuring the Playhouse was revitalised.
"Unfortunately, it also appears that we are still kicking around the awful Athenaeum idea — an idea that only the owner of the property seems to be keen on."
Mr Anderson suggested the council could have saved itself trouble by being clear from the outset the $17.1m was a professional theatre infrastructure fund set up after the 2018 Fortune Theatre closure.
The council should reinstate the money, he said.
"You should also probably publicly apologise for the dog breakfast you’ve made of the process."
