Regent makes headlines
Posted March 13th, 2010 by debritz
Don't bother waiting for Godot; he's not coming. The Regent Theatre is back in the news today, with the Courier-Mail's Tonya Turner revealing that an acclaimed production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot starring Sir Ian McKellen won't be coming to Brisbane due to the lack of a suitable venue. The story quotes me saying that the Regent could be restored into a theatre much more cost-effectively than building a new venue from scratch. Godot is one of many productions that haven't found their way to Brisbane because of scheduling conflicts at QPAC. Godot producer Liza McLean says: "Commercially, everybody would love for there to be another venue in Brisbane". Lyndon Terracini, the former Brisbane Festival boss who now runs Opera Australia, agrees. With the city growing at the rate it is, we absolutely need another new venue as soon as possible or risk becoming seen as a cultural backwater. Restoring the original Regent auditorium as part of the current office-tower project for the site would be an efficient way to give our city a versatile theatre/concert/cinema space while protecting Brisbane's last remaining Hollywood-style picture palace for future generations. Anna Bligh, it's not too late to make this happen.
Last week I waited out the rain under the magical canopy of the Regent, flashing with lightbulbs and gold, with a cavernous foyer leading to dark rooms and new worlds. I thought - this place needs to be here. We need the mystery and grandeur and quirkiness of such a place in a city that is too quickly forgetting its heritage. We need it to remain a retreat from the commercialism and workaholism that surrounds it. Otherwise we run the risk of becoming characterless, soulless, unremarkable.
Too often, Brisbane gets it wrong with their 'developments'. They use glass and hideous colours as though that somehow equals charm. For all that glass there is rarely reflection. For all that colour there is rarely wonder.
The location of the Regent is perfect for a performance venue. Right on Queen Street, there's high visibility for attracting new crowds to shows, and there's plenty of eateries that can absorb the audience and provide a segue into a full night's entertainment without having to leave the area.
Every tourist who comes to Brisbane strolls the mall. Why not have a beautiful cultural marker open for them to enjoy? It is a place like the Regent that would leave an impression with me. Much more than the generic stores and food venues that seem to be the only other offerings on Brisbane's famous strip. Why have a street for pedestrians only if there is nothing to see and explore? Why not have a venue that promises visiting artists that they'll be at the centre of it all?
It would be devastating to lose the unique charm and purpose of the Regent. We've already lost the Dendy on George Street - let us keep and celebrate his beautiful sister, the Regent.
Well put, Anon -- although I must point out that the Dendy/George/Lyceum has been reborn as Tribal Theatre, showing a mix of classics and cult favourites. Details here.