Two upcoming shows at the theatre — Dust Pilgrim (May 7 and 8) and Seven Deadly Stunts (May 16-19) — have been relocated to the Logan Park High School auditorium and the New Athenaeum Theatre, respectively.
Plans are still being made for future shows that were expected to be performed at the Fortune.
Dust Pilgrim and Auckland-based Red Leap Theatre producer Angela Hicks was saddened by the news and felt for the Fortune Theatre’s staff.
"But at the same time, we were thinking what do we need to do to keep our show going."
She said it would have been easy to just cancel, but the whole situation was made easier by other Dunedin theatres offering to host her show.
"We instantly got offers from a couple of other places. The first one that we got was from Logan Park High School, and so we jumped on that straight away.
"But almost straight after I put the phone down, I got another call from the New Athenaeum Theatre offering support, and then the Mayfair Theatre called.
"They were all on to it really, really quickly, just asking if there was anything they could do to help us."
She said it showed there were plenty of theatres in Dunedin that could fill the void, but believed the Fortune would be greatly missed because it had a close and long-standing relationship with many theatre companies around the country.
"What the Fortune does really, really well is offer a good price and lots of support like door staff, back-stage crew, lighting and sound.
"We’re a small company that doesn’t have a lot of money, so anyone who can give us support outside the regular hire cost, is really appreciated.
"That’s what brings companies like ours to the Fortune Theatre.
"Without it, it’s going to be a really big change on the landscape in terms of touring in the South Island."
New Athenaeum Theatre manager Ellie Swann said it was important to reach out to the affected touring production companies and offer any assistance they needed.
She said Rollicking Entertainment had accepted her offer to hold Seven Deadly Stunts at the New Athenaeum, and Red Leap Theatre had accepted her offer to provide technical equipment for its show at Logan Park High School auditorium which did not have a lot of the sound and lighting needed for the show.
"We’ve just pitched in and rolled our sleeves up to get it done.
"We’re trying to be as helpful as possible. If we can lend anything useful, then we’ll do that, absolutely.
"It’s a pretty unusual and traumatising situation for the staff involved at the Fortune. We all know each other and if we can help our friends ...
"We also want to see artists being able to create their theatre and make it happen."
Dunedin City Councillor Aaron Hawkins said it was important, in the short term, to continue to support professional theatre being presented in Dunedin, at existing venues.
"At the 10-year plan meeting, I’ll ask council to consider ring-fencing the funding we’ve given the Fortune, to support this aim.
"We’re working with other major funders to get that same commitment."
He said council was also investigating arts infrastructure across the city, so it could build what was needed to support both "access and excellence across all art forms" in the longer term.
"This conversation has to include our creative community, and in particular, theatre practitioners."
• University of Otago theatre studies students have organised a public meeting on Tuesday, at noon, in Allen Hall, for people keen to save the Fortune Theatre.
Dunedin theatre capacity
• Globe Theatre: 60
• New Athenaeum Theatre: 90
• Playhouse Theatre: 140
• Hutton Theatre: 200
• Allen Hall: 200
• Mosgiel Coronation Hall: 250
• Logan Park High School auditorium: 350
• King’s and Queen’s Performing Arts Centre: 376
• Glenroy Auditorium: 400
• Mayfair Theatre: 413
• Former Sammy’s: 718
• Regent Theatre: 1617
• Dunedin Town Hall: 2200
