Annual Report, March 2010

2009 was the Dunedin Opera Company’s 53^rd year of operation and it has continued in its mission to present the art form of opera to the citizens of Dunedin, and areas beyond.

Opera Otago is the group responsible for the production of opera, and last year the group, chaired by Mary Dixon, decided not to present a large scale production in Dunedin, but instead to prepare a program of two single act operas that could be toured around Otago and Southland. To aid the production, it was hoped to engage the assistance of local groups in the various towns to deal with local ticketing and promotion. Alas this did not prove to be in Invercargill and Oamaru. The final performances were held in Dunedin (presented as a dinner and show), in Mosgiel and toured to Cromwell (held in Bannockburn) and Wanaka. The two operas chosen were John Drummonds “Bridge to Somewhere” and Menotti’s “The Telephone” (which was slightly updated to the cellular phone age). These were popular at all venues and indeed the Central Otago patrons were eagerly enquiring when the company would be returning. The success of this has meant that programs such as this will be considered in future years.

While these were progressing, the committee has been hard at work preparing the 2010 program, which is to be “Orfeo” by Monteverdi, presented as part of the Otago Festival of the Arts. This promises to be an exciting production, and further details will be released soon.

The other performance group in the company, Mayfair Productions, was not active last year, as the members of the production team were involved in other projects and therefore not available. This group played an important role in providing a vehicle for young singers and it is hoped that some other people may come forward and continue it‘s role in the company.

Mayfair Costume Hire has continued to be a sound business to support the activities of the company. The hard work of Karen and Vera Weatherall, supported by Betty- Mae Cathro and an enthusiastic team of volunteers has provided a stunning selection of costumes for the adventurous party goer in town- who rise to the challenge of “who do you want to be today?” . The costume hire usually provide a good source of income for the company, however this has been reduced this year, as profit was channelled back into the business in the form of a heat pump – providing a little more comfort for those trying on costumes in the cooler winter months.

The Mayfair Theatre has concluded a successful year. The theatre was well used by the Dunedin community, especially in the second half of the year. The continuance of funding from the Dunedin City Council for the employment of a Theatre Manager has been invaluable. I would like to pass on my thanks to Bruce Collier for his work during the last year.

Some notable work visible in the theatre during the year has been the installation of an electrolier in the auditorium (originally from another Dunedin Theatre) and the installation of a new front of house lighting truss. While the former is largely for show – virtually a work of art in its own right – the latter now provides an industry standard lighting bar more suited to the demands of the many shows now using the theatre. Much more work, less visible, has also been completed, such as refurbishment of lights, and work on completing walkways in the roof of the building for safer access.

One major project completed last year was the Feasibility Study commissioned from Octa Associates. This document, and an assessment of Dunedin Theatres by Delloites, for the City Council, have established that the preferred Theatre option for the City, in the Councils view, is the refurbishment of the Mayfair and Regent Theatres. It is encouraging that the council may be interested in supporting the development of the theatre, although there will be many issues to be resolved by the company before this is done. Such things will include the manner in which the theatre is governed, and may even raise the issue of whether it would be better to create a separate trust for the Theatre. These will be important issues for the company in the coming years.

The other important issue that will face the company will be to attract the next generation to become involved and continue the good work started 53 years ago. We have been fortunate to have a small number of extremely good employees in the company, and a larger ( but not that large) number of dedicated and hard working volunteers, who have put many, many hours in to the production of opera, and the running of the city’s community theatre. We would not be here today without these people, but we now need to make sure we have a new group coming through, to take over the company and take it through to its 100 years.

I would like to conclude by personally thanking all those involved with the company over the last year, for all your hard work, and especially for your enthusiasm to continue providing a unique part of Dunedin’s cultural scene.

Geoff Patton

President / Chair

Dunedin Opera Company