‘Full monty’ upgrade of Royal Whanganui Opera House could cost $33 million but cheaper options on table

The Opera House was built in 1899. Photo / Bevan Conley

Upgrading the Royal Whanganui Opera House could cost $33 million but cheaper options will be considered.

The venue’s fly floor and hemp rope system were dismantled following a health and safety audit last year, with scaffolding in place around the perimeter of the stage to provide support and hang lighting on.

The Whanganui District Council is renting the scaffolding for around $3000 a month.

Council community and customer experience general manager Marianne Cavanagh said there were bookings at the venue through to mid-next year and people were accepting of the current limitations.

“In saying that, we’ve had a heap of theatre lights replaced and a new sound desk has been installed,” she said.

“We’re still forging ahead with improvements but the big, gutsy decisions are yet to come.”

A business case for the future of the venue - informed by a feasibility study from theatre consultants Shand Shelton - has five options.

The minimum amount of work - implementing a new fly system within the existing structure - is estimated to cost $14.2m.

A new stagehouse (the structure housing the performing area and offstage space) and fly system would cost $17m.

A fly floor is a platform along the wall of the stagehouse where stagehands operate the rigging system.

Cavanagh said the “full monty” upgrade, covering a variety of issues across the back and front of house, was estimated at $33m.

Other options include leaving it as it is or closing the doors completely.

Cavanagh said the community and volunteers were passionate about the venue so it was unlikely the last two options would be considered.

“It‘s up to the council to decide what they want to do and when.

“In the meantime, there is a cost. We are hiring the scaffolding and that’s not a long-term option.”

Buying it outright was an option, she said.

Shows like the New Zealand Ballet could not operate with the Opera House’s current set-up, Cavanagh said.

“There are certain requirements they need so it’s very much about future-proofing and thinking ahead.

“How do we make sure we are on the same stage - pun intended - of some of the really big venues that get world shows that come around?”

The Opera House was built in 1899. It received a Historic Place Trust award in 1996 and gained a Category One historical grading.

Cavanagh said the council had taken care of all the immediate health and safety issues at the venue.

Equipment that had to be removed was kept for heritage and documentation purposes.

“Every time we’ve done something, we keep discovering more and more that needs to be addressed,” she said.

“From [council’s] end, when it comes to health and safety, urgency is needed.

“No one wants to see a ballerina landing badly on the stage or falling from heights.”

Options for the future of the building will be considered as part of the council’s long-term plan 2024-2034, which comes into effect mid-next year.

Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.