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Shows to go on despite delays
Thursday, July 05, 2012
THE theatre won’t quite be ready, but the shows will go on.

Delays in the arrival of the tiered retractable unit ordered for Gisborne’s Lawson Field Theatre — and the chairs that go on it — mean the fancy raked seating won’t be installed in time for soprano Claire Egan’s recital on August 4, nor Michael Houstoun’s piano concert three days later.

“But we really didn’t want to let the concert organisers down so we’ll install flat-floor seating for them and mount the piano on a stage,” says theatre manager Rob Russell.

“It would have been nice to have the audience looking down on the piano rather than up at it, but it couldn’t be helped. We’re just glad that the events can go ahead.”

The delay was partly due to the need to seek extra funding from Gisborne District Council when extras like the need to fireproof the storeroom pushed up compliance costs, Russell said.

The main glitch, however, was hold-up in delivery of the retractable unit and seating, which were “stuck on a wharf”.

Meanwhile, confirmation that the two early-August concerts can go ahead is good news for the organisers – Egan’s show will be a fundraiser for the War Memorial Theatre refurbishment project, while the performance from the renowned Houstoun will be Gisborne Musica Viva’s biggest event of the year.

“We couldn’t afford to bring Michael over when he was touring in 2011 so we are very, very lucky that he offered to come and perform for us this year,” says Gill Armstrong, spokeswoman for Gisborne Musica Viva.

“It will be absolutely fabulous for us to have the opportunity to hear him play.”
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