Bob Jones points way to ballet profits

Press, 14 August 1980, Page 12

Bob Jones points way to ballet profits

By

BRIAR WHITEHEAD

in Wellington

One of the reasons the Wellington property magnate, Bob Jones took the New Zealand Ballet to Suva on its first overseas trip was because everyone told him it could not be done. “We could have sold the thing over and over again," he said yesterday, after the return of the company from Fiji. “Every night we had

them sitting on the stairs. One thing’s for sure, we will be going back every year.” Fiji is not all Mr Jones, now the company’s special projects manager, has in mind. He is already negotiating a Japanese tour, which may extend to Hong Kong and Singapore. Queensland and Brisbane are certainties next year, and Central America and Iceland are occupying his imagination.

He took the job on, because he had made rather dismissive comments about the company in an earlier book, and because, as an informed individual, he knew very little ■ about what it was doing, he said,

Why was the Fijian tour a success?

“We got the Minister of

Education, and the Minister for the Arts to write letters (which I wrote) to every prominent citizen in Fiji urging them to support it." The services of the Fijian High Commissioner (a tenant of Mr Jones) were also enlisted. “We sent the company’s stage manager over three weeks in advance, and did

a lot of radio advertising.” But, the main reason? Novelty. . “The buggers up there are so bored. You’ve got middle class white people who have nothing to .do with their money. There is very little theatrical active ity. The small drama group is run by the sort of bores who always get involved in that sort of thing, and the people stay away. “We expected to draw the expatriates, men and women, Indian women, — and some Indian men if we could tempt them with enough erotic stuff — but no Fijians.

_. “Where we were wrong was that whole Indian families turned out, and Fijian women. They came from all over the island. We gave them ‘Cinde-

rella,’ because the company had performed it earlier in the year, and because it was spectacular.” Although final takings are not to hand, Mr Jones said the company had grossed more than $20,000 and played to about 4000 people. “We had to turn them away because we didn’t have the tickets. Next

time we go it will be six evening performances and four day matinees.” On the Fiji tour the company played five times. “We charged plenty for the tickets — SNZIS. I told them that if we didn’t charge high, we’d make a loss. That was another reason why they said the people would stay away.” Mr Jones’s association with the ballet is a fragile one. He will stay with it only as long as he wants to, and at this stage its predicament interests him. “I know nothing about ballet — I’m learning. But my oath, I know about selling things. It was fairly clear to me right from the outset what was happening to the company. “They were on a negative spiral. They had poor

morale, a poor public profile, little converted support, and there they were, ripping through the country, furiously, playing to small, one-night houses. They’d covered New Zealand, in no time, and had to come back and start rehearsing a new show. "Then round they’d go again. They were averaging nearly three ballets a

year when I got involved a year ago, losing money hand-over-fist.

“They had to lift their profile. “I want to widen the overseas market until the New Zealand public are sufficiently starved. When we put them on here once a year, they’ll be fighting to come in.

“I know world markets pretty intimately. Fiji is neglected territory. Australia has an internationally renowned ballet, but it plays only to major centres. New Zealand can get into the small towns. “I reckon a tour of central America would slay them. Costa Rica, San Jose — they’d love us there — rich, affluent cities where nothing ever happens. “I have contacts with

an airline that is prepared to link its name to this, and pay for us to do all these things — Continental.

' “Hawaii has a city ballet company that’s no good We’d murder them there too.

“AH’ you hear in this country is ‘lt’s impossible.’ I accepted it for a while when the company told me they had spent 20 years trying to get overseas. Then when I told the board I’d get stuck in and

organise an overseas tour for them, the truth came out. They’d never really bothered to do anything about it.

“There were no problems.

It cost us less to get to Fiji than it does to Invercargill, and we made more money there. “Ideally we’d like to be touring full-time in New Zealand, but at the moment we’re only devaluingthe market by coming round several times a year, because the audience is too small.

“We have to build up our New Zealand audience, and to do that we have to starve them a wee bit. Then, instead of goingto Wanganui for one night, we go to Wanganui and sell out for three nights. "That way it will take

us a year to get round with maybe a supplementary tour overseas, and a regular Fiji tour every year.” , Asked whether the Minister for the Arts, Mr Highet, might attempt to scale down his plans for the company, Mr Jones said: “He.. wouldnt have the bloody nerve.” • “You ought to see the letters that are pouring in: Venn Young and Barry Brill have sent cheques for $5O each to the company just out of the blue. Even Fraser Colman wrote a lengthy letter: Whatever they can do for the ballet they’ll do. “Very trendy thing at the moment this ballet lark, although I think

there’s a lot more artistry in a prize fight.

“I’d much rather be putting my energies into the opera, but that’s up in Auckland. I’d much rather it was here.” Mr Jones wants to restructure- funding of the arts in New Zealand: “The first thing we should do is get rid of the Arts Council. They are unnecessary. They are eating up one tenth of the arts allocation. ■

“I say simply this: if the Government say, ‘we want an orchestra, a_ ballet, an opera,’ there is no point starting it on an improper financial basis. We aren’t talking about a lot of money.”