By Jeff Clark in Christchurch

Numbers have a new meaning in Christchurch. People can say “we had a 4.6 last night” without getting a perplexed expression - the Richter scale is part of the vernacular for many Cantabrians.

For The Court Theatre, 4.6 is not the measure of an aftershock but the amount of money that must be raised for the company to survive. ($4.62 million, to be exact).

An aftershock lasts a few seconds. We must raise this amount of money in a few months.

Designs

In developing the plans for The Shed, our architectural team have walked a fine line between offering the best possible experience for audiences without breaking the budget. The top priority (as always) has been the audience. The auditorium itself will be thermally and acoustically insulated, the chairs as comfortable as possible and the stage set up to recapture the “traditional” Court experience of a semi-thrust stage that creates an intimate experience even for the back row.

Behind the scenes, however, every (unnecessary) expense has been spared: offices will be made from modified storage containers and what office equipment we cannot retrieve from our old site will be reviewed before they are replaced. It will be a much more Spartan existence than we had in the Arts Centre but – considering all Court staff have been working from their own studies, offices or (in my case) lounge – it will still be a step up from the past few months.

Comparatively speaking, the cost it is not a bad figure. Building a building from scratch or converting an existing structure to the requirements of a theatrical company would be at least double this amount. When an auditorium was being considered for the Arts Centre car park, the estimated cost was well over $12 million. In many ways it is the best of both worlds – a blank slate with a roof over it. It is, however, still a huge undertaking and one The Court cannot do alone.

Focus has now fully moved from securing a space to securing the company’s future.

Funds

Officially, The Shed Fundraising Appeal was launched on 24 May. Of course, work began behind the scenes some time ago. Asking for donations is, of course, the simplest (and fastest) way to raise money. However, we need to actively engage the community as much as possible, as well as find ways to employ artists where we can. Even building as quickly as we can, the time frame is not friendly to practitioners who rely solely on acting work to survive.

The first major fundraising event is on July 7. A collection of artists (including locals such as Nic Kyle, Lynda Milligan, Yvonne Martin and Ali Harper) will appear on stage alongside George Henare, Paul Barrett and Michael Lee Porter at the Aurora Centre to perform a fundraising concert for The Shed. In this case, all of the performers are donating their time and talent to The Court.

A number of other ideas are being developed: a festival of fundraising dinners, auctioning old props/costumes, quiz nights, a Court Jesters tour, approaching other theatre companies for “fundraiser nights” of their productions – at the moment any and every idea that can raise cash for The Court are being considered. It is a time for creativity and original thinking – of relentless optimism and energy.

Shows

It has been very heartening to see other organisations springing up and putting on shows – particularly shows that keep actors employed in Christchurch. A production of The Importance of Being Earnest has just opened, with two performances raising money for the mayoral fund. A marquee has been imported that will house a number of productions for 'Celebration Theatre'. The city council is creating an 'Events Village' not only to host the Rugby World Cup but also the Chch Arts Festival, Kidsfest, Buskers Festival and others (and it’s always good to see sport and the arts not being mutually exclusive).

The Court has some productions scheduled during construction of The Shed. Later in July there will be a season of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, which was originally to have been staged at The Court in March then travelled to the Fortune. Thanks to a grant from Creative NZ (and some juggling by both the Fortune Theatre and The Court) all of the original cast and crew have remained attached to the project. Alan Ball’s comedy about bridesmaids has just opened in Dunedin (to very positive reviews) and will transfer to the Aurora Centre on July 14.

Also in the Aurora Centre from July 20-23 will be a completely original take on Hansel and Gretel by local practitioner Dan Bain; Bain has taken his Circoarts background, extensive experience as a Court Jester and skills in physical theatre to create a completely silent version of the fairytale.

Once construction is further along we will have dates put in place for The Shed’s première production: Roger Hall’s A Shortcut to Happiness. A fitting way to introduce the space.

In the meantime it is “all hands to the wheel” as we work to raise the funds for The Shed. Anyone who can help – financially, by donating time or items, or with an idea for fundraising activities - please visit www.courttheatre.org.nz and click on 'Help The Court'. Every bit helps.