Passing over the theatre baton
Theatre Royal manager Janice Marthen reflects on her eight years looking after the ‘‘old girl.’’ Sara Meij reports.
Janice Marthen has never seen a community care about a theatre the way Nelson cares about Theatre Royal. ‘‘’I’ve worked in Melbourne, the UK, Germany and in Dunedin and I’ve never experienced the community feel that this venue has.
‘‘The first day I arrived here people were coming up to me and telling me stories about their time at the theatre and the time their grandparents were on stage.’’
Now eight years later Marthen has decided to pass the baton of managing New Zealand’s oldest purpose built performance theatre as she’s moving back to Australia to be with family.
‘‘My sister had a massive stroke last year and my parents aren’t getting any younger and my children and family are in Melbourne. I would never forgive myself if something happened and I wasn’t there.’’
Marthen started on the day the theatre was reopened after a $6.2 million refurbishment. The threeyear project restored the auditorium and front of house and replaced the backstage area with a new stage and fly tower.
Marthen, who managed the Fortune Theatre in Dunedin before moving to Nelson, said the refurbishment had brought the theatre up to 21st century standards and made it one of the busiest theatres in the country.
She said it was a difficult decision to leave, but she felt it was the right moment as the ‘‘old girl’’ was in ‘‘great shape’’.
‘‘Hopefully somebody equally fabulous will come out of the woodwork.’’
Marthen said New Zealand had a wealth of talented people who might be attracted by the role. ‘‘It’s a fantastic job, in a fantastic theatre and city.
‘‘I want to make sure the next person is as passionate about this building as I am.’’
She wasn’t heading to a new job in Melbourne, instead taking things easy and spending lots of time with her family.
‘‘I’m sure something stunning will turn up once I get there but I’m not going to worry about it.’’
Nelson Historic Theatre Trust chair Mark Christensen said Marthen had done ‘‘a tremendous job’’. The theatre is owned and operated by the trust and supported by the Nelson City Council.
‘‘She has built up the Theatre to become the busiest performing arts theatre in New Zealand with over 300 days use each year for the past several years.
‘‘No other community theatre in NZ comes close to that high level of usage.’’