Q Theatre general manager Susanne Ritzenhoff talked about the state of theatre with Simon Pound on 95bfm's Sunday Breakfast.

The Q Theatre is a proposed new theatre in Auckland's CBD aimed at filling the gap left by the closure of the Watershed and Mercury theatres.

The theatre was given a temporary lifeline this week after the Auckland City Council voted to release $200,000 of planned funding to allow the theatre to proceed with resource consent.

TBI Image: Q Theatre supporters at the Auckland City Council meetingQ Theatre general manager Susanne Ritzenhoff talked about the state of theatre with Simon Pound on 95bfm's Sunday Breakfast.

The Q Theatre is a proposed new theatre in Auckland's CBD aimed at filling the gap left by the closure of the Watershed and Mercury theatres.

The theatre was given a temporary lifeline this week after the Auckland City Council voted to release $200,000 of planned funding to allow the theatre to proceed with resource consent.

TBI Image: Q Theatre supporters at the Auckland City Council meetingThe council delayed the full $4.6 million grant, agreed to by the previous council last September but never counter-signed. It also voted down (11-8) an amendment to release a further $500,000 to continue design work.

Q Theatre chair David Appleby told The Big Idea after the meeting that the release of funds would allow it to pursue government funding, which requires projects to have resource consent to apply, for the $6.4 million shortfall.

"It's a lifeline and we'll seize it. There's a lot of passion for this project and we'll work hard to make it happen."

Listen to the audio interview (MP3, 12m05s, 2.8MB) with Simon Pound on 95bfm Sunday Breakfast.

Read the TBI story about the council decision.

17/02/08