Theatre Centre Planned For Christchurch

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30738, 30 April 1965, Page 12

Theatre Centre Planned For Christchurch

The Canterbury Repertory Theatre Society is to establish in Christchurch what will probably be the Dominion's first theatre centre.

The project envisaged will include amateur and professional theatrical companies, a training centre for actors, and involve considerable reconstruction of the society’s Kilmore street premises.

The president of the society (Mr T. A. Kincaid) said yesterday he expected the change-over to take at least 12 months. This was because finance would have to be raised to cover the cost of the reconstruction and to subsidise the activities of the professional company. He said the project had been under consideration by the society for “quite a time.” It was decided to proceed with it at the annual meeting on Wednesday evening. A finance committee to go into ways and means of raising money would shortly be set up, said Mr Kincaid.

“The theatre centre will incorporate the present amateur activities, and a regional professional group yet to be formed. In addition, there will be a training centre for actors which, although intended primarily for the stage, may later develop into a wider sphere to include perhaps television,” he said. Fairly extensive alterations would be necessary to the society’s theatre, added Mr Kincaid. Provision would be made for the redesigning of the stage area, the possible shortening of the main auditorium, and the construction of a “little theatre” (to house between 150 and 200 persons) over the present foyer, which itself would be enlarged to provide coffee facilities.

This latter was expected to be open to the theatre-minded public during non-perform-ance hours, he said.

The whole project would require considerable financial backing, Mr Kincaid said, but it was the society’s intention of bringing it all about without interfering in any way with the society's present assets.