Major show first for trust
The trust that helped bring a theatre back from its derelict state will soon hold its first big show.
The Ha¯ wera Memorial Theatre Trust’s musical extravaganza Hear The People Sing debuts this Saturday and director Russ Standing said it would be a significant moment for the trust.
‘‘We’ve done a few variety shows, the trust has, but this is the first time we’ve actually sort of tackled something a bit major,’’ Standing said. ‘‘There’s 14 musicals and 25 numbers from those musicals in this show.’’
The trust was established in 2011 by a group of local theatre enthusiasts after Standing noticed the Ha¯wera Memorial Theatre was in a state of disrepair.
‘‘If you went back to the time when we did Les Mis, say 1996, there was a lot of enthusiasm in those days,’’ Standing said. ‘‘And then over the next 15 years it became derelict.
‘‘For me it was a sad sight to see this beautiful theatre that we’d had so much fun in was dilapidated.
‘‘The theatre was only booked two or three times a year then, and now suddenly we’ve got all of these wonderful things going on.
‘‘We reckon by Christmas over 10,000 would have been through that theatre since [the trust started up].’’
Today, Standing thinks the Ha¯ wera Memorial Theatre is now one of the best buildings in South Taranaki.
‘‘Here we are with the very best of sound systems, we’ve got a fly floor - one of only two in the province, it is the largest set stage in the province.
‘‘It’s quite remarkable for a small town like us to have this sort of facility.’’
Tickets are available online at http://www.ticketdirect.co.nz/ or at the door half an hour before each show.