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OLD MILL THEATRE
PO BOX 1390
SOUTH PERTH WA 6951
(08) 9367.8719
Email: [email protected]
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT FOR YEAR OCTOBER 2011 – SEPTEMBER 2012
As Chairman, I am presenting this year’s report.
Starting with the distressing news of the sudden and unexpected death of our Chairman Hywel
Williams… He had recently returned form a holiday in the UK when diagnosed with complications from a
previous illness and, in spite of what initially appeared to be successful treatment, he succumbed in March of
this year. A wake in true Celtic tradition was held at the theatre, attended by friends and colleagues from
distant days, as well as his theatrical friends from many years. Audiences will have noticed the theatre bar has
been re-named “Hywel’s Place” in affectionate memory of a friend and colleague.
This year has been a particularly busy and productive one for the theatre – not to say exhaustive for
your committee and dedicated volunteers! We will have presented seven productions by the end of 2012!
We started off the year on January 13 with the second annual Milly Awards, the theatre’s awards for its
own productions. These consist of best play, best director, actor, actress and so on and are designed to say
thank you to all and recognise many of our behind-the-scenes people who contribute many, many hours
unknown and unseen to our productions.
The first show of our “year” (which officially begins in October) was the comedy Daisy Pulls if Off,
depicting adventures at an exclusive girls’ school in 1920s England.
Directed by Susan Lynch, this resonated well with many of our audiences and proved a winner with
many of the younger audience members enjoying the antics of a bygone era. It also brought a cast of young
actors to the theatre, most of whom we are pleased to say are continuing to be involved with us.
Falsettos – a modern musical, the first show of 2012, received mixed reactions. Directed by John
Milson, this was an outstanding show regarding the performance of the cast but did not attract as large an
audience as hoped, possibly due to it not being a traditional musical. Those who did attend, however, were –
as one audience member said on leaving – “impressed and enjoyed myself much more than I’d anticipated’.
Flesh Wounds (a play with music) came next, conceived and directed by talented local writer Jessica
Messenger. This was very well-received and attracted a younger audience because it dealt with challenges
facing young people today.
Parramatta Girls, a play based on the real-life experiences of a notorious New South Wales
institution for “wayward and disadvantaged girls” was directed by Siobhan O’Gara. It was a powerful and
moving piece of theatre and, although not comfortable to watch, was a moving tribute to the power of the
human spirit in adversity.
The Beast & The Beauty, proved to be the “blockbuster of the year” in more ways than one. This
new play by David Stevens was a world first and we were delighted David granted us permission to be the first
company in the world to present it. We ran a four-week season and achieved excellent houses. The play was
also a first for director Mark DeFriest in that, as a film director, it was his first foray into directing a play.
Exhausting though this was, everyone enjoyed the experience and we all learnt a lot from each other.
The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler came next and was directed by Megan Burley, fresh from
having stage-managed the previous show. This sometimes controversial production was, as the name
suggests, all about “women’s business” but told in an honest and often humorous way with many poignant
moments. The brave males who attended found they enjoyed the play, often to their surprise.
Although that ended our “year”, I have to mention the last show Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Directed By Garry Lawrence, who had to step into the lead role with four weeks’ notice, he did a magnificent
job as evidenced universally by our audiences’ reactions.
Overall, spread across the year’s productions the theatre achieved an approximately 72-capacity
audience. A little less than last year, which we attribute to having produced two relatively unknown shows plus
one controversial one. Given the quality of the productions, this is a result to be proud of.
In addition to our own shows, Justin Freind continued his series of Sunday Serenades and his
Christmas Concert will be held here on December 16.
During 2011-12 we had one outside production, a re-working of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends
Welll, directed by Sarah McKellar, in October 2011.
April this year saw our annual champagne breakfast, an event always enjoyed by all including the
hard-working catering team. Next year’s date has not been decided yet – but will probably be sometime after
Easter.
We have not spent all of our energies on shows – this year we are continuing the refurbishment of the
foyer. The dressing room’s carpeting was undertaken and makes for a comfortable area for casts. We have
acquired new lights and assorted equipment. Next on the list is new seating for the bar area to complement
our new furniture in the lounge.
There are many people to thank for the (mostly) smooth running of the theatre: the hard-working
Board who take on a multitude of tasks. In particular this year, we again owe a huge thank you to Treasurer
Michiel Van Doorn who took on the task of researching online ticketing services and recommending SEAT
ADVISOR (SABO) and to Micheal Trestrail who has worked tirelessly backstage (he and Jenny are currently
enjoying a long holiday in Asia).
To this end, we are in process of implementing an online booking system and, while “making haste
slowly” and ensuring we are all fully comfortable with the process, you may now book online for all shows. The
usual phone service will, of course, continue for those who prefer the personal touch or do not wish to use the
online service
.
We will be increasing ticket prices from the start of 2013. This is due to continuing price rises for just
about everything: electricity, publicity, royalties etc… the list goes on. New standard ticket prices will be $25
full and $20 concessions.
Many many people – too numerous to mention – help out, mostly unseen and sometimes not
acknowledged. I refer to our set-builders, painters, odd-job people and absolutely everyone who lends a hand
in getting a production up and running. They are the unseen part of the iceberg, the top of which you see on
stage! A huge thank you to all of them.
Last but by no means least on the thank you list is our team of front-of-house personnel, led by
Brenda Oliver-Harry. They are the people who greet you as you enter, hassle you into buying raffle tickets,
serve you with a smile with tea and coffee, serve behind the bar and generally contribute to your enjoyment of
your theatrical experience. We receive many comments on how friendly the atmosphere is at the Old Mill.
One final item. A special general meeting will be held early next year to propose a change to the
constitution. We are proposing to alter the “financial & theatre year” from the current October to
September, to the calendar year (January to December). We think this will make it easier to remember when
memberships fall due and generally simplify matters. Unfortunately, we were unable to organise the required
notice of motion to be distributed in time for the AGM, hence the need for a special neeting to be organised.
Thank you all for listening and we hope to see you at all our productions in 2013.
Phil Barnett
Chairman Old Mill Theatre, November 2012