THE TOWN HALL STAGE

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1929, Page 4

THE TOWN HALL STAGE

We commend to the attention of the j Borough Council an interview publish- | ed in another column of this issue. It deals with Die improvements which, in the opinion of an expert, .are necessary to make the Town Hall stage sufficiently useful to attract theatrical companies to Whangarei. It is gratityiug to know that the seating ae('ommo'diation of the Town Hall is regarded as being ample, and that the failure of companies to visit the town need not be attributed to any weakness in this respect. The stage and dressing room facilities, however, are very far from what they should be, and constitute a distinct obstacle to the production of plays of any. magnitude. This fact has been 'demonstrated time and again by the difficulties under : which our local amateurs have laboured when potting on some of the excellent productions for which they have been responsible. These difficulties would disappear, in the opinion of Mr Eric Edgeloy,- the producer of the “Midnight Frolics,” if the walls of the stage were carried up about 25 foot au'dl the dressing rooms now situated .at the back of the building incorporated in the stage, which would thus be given an extra depth of ten feet. The main requirement, however, is the extra height between stage floor and roof, with necessary “grid l ” and other equipment. This is a matter to which earnest consideration .should be given. Mr Edgeley’s suggestion, if carried out, would! transform the theatre, the usefulness and attractiveness of which would be very greatly increased. The expenditure incurred in connection with this and the provision of adequate dressing -rooms should be comparatively small.