Theatre Royal

To: Dame Kate Harcourt and Helen Moulder, Patrons,  to Greg Shaw, Chairperson and fellow trustees of the Nelson Historic Theatre Trust,  to Andy Ferguson, Manager of the Restoration Project,  to Honourable Nick Smith, Minister of the Environment,  to Honourable Maryan Street, Member of Parliament,  to Your Worship Kerry Marshall, Mayor and Colleen and to City Councillors of Nelson,  to Your Worship Richard Kempthorne, Mayor of Tasman  and to all present, all supporters of The Theatre Royal Nelson:  Good evening.

Thank you for inviting me to officially reopen the Theatre Royal here in Nelson this evening.  It really is a joy to be here to join everyone in celebrating this very special occasion.

This beautiful theatre began its long-life in 1878 and is thought to be the oldest surviving operating wooden theatre in the southern hemisphere.  It certainly makes a significant addition to the heritage of our country’s timber architecture.  The Nelson community and visitors here will be using the amenity for the next hundred years and we can only guess as to how.

While touring the theatre last month, I was spell-bound when I saw the commitment, passion and the hard work that has gone into bringing this theatre up to a 21st century standard.  Greg and Andy are visionary and pragmatic and have, together with the tradesmen’s skills and know-how, preserved as much of the heritage of this grand building as they could.  There are modern theatrical accoutrements as well for practical reasons.  The team have done all this with a mixture of purpose and innovation for which Kiwis are famous.  Look around you at the detail - and the overall drama of the theatre tonight.  Admire.

The $5.5 million dollars raised by the Nelson Historic Theatre Trust, including significant contributions from the Nelson City Council, is not a great deal of money when allocated to cover the many facets of building repair, reconstruction, preservation and upgrade.

One example of cost-cutting is the process of replacing the original embossed wallpaper, also known as anaglypta, that you see on parts of the ceilings.  Instead of paying in the tens of thousands to have a brass roller made to press each pattern, plaster casts were made and the pattern transferred that way.  The team have produced similar results for a fraction of the cost.

I salute everyone involved in the Theatre Royal conservation project for their ability, through sheer determination, to squeeze the best value possible, from the hard-earned funds available.

A similar, but more extensive conservation project, begun in 2009 has overtaken Government House Wellington, which is the official residence of the Governor-General.  I can sympathise with the complexities and challenges that arise from conserving a building that is over 100 years old while still making it warm, comfortable, practical and spectacular for modern uses.

Government House originally opened its doors in 1910 and, like the Theatre Royal, after nearly one hundred years of use was in dire need of repair.  As well as maintenance, plumbing and electricity thing like electronics needed to be brought up to today’s standards.  It will be reopened next year and I anticipate that New Zealanders will be pleased that such an important building has been restored for another century.

May I share in the delight of the Theatre Royal’s reopening and predict that the magic of theatre will be enjoyed here in a way that the whole community will benefit from and be proud of for another hundred years.  As Oscar Wilde said: “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another, the sense of what it is to be a human being.”

I hope you all enjoy this marvellous event tonight.  It is with great pleasure that I now declare the Theatre Royal Nelson officially reopened and wish you the courage to realise the considerable hopes and dreams of those involved in the restoration.  No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.