Royal Whanganui Opera House’s fly floor and hemp rope rigging system were removed in 2023. Photo / Mike Tweed
Temporary scaffolding remains in Whanganui’s premier performing arts venue, with the district council looking at ways “to improve stage functionality”.
In 2023, the Whanganui District Council removed the Royal Whanganui Opera House’s fly floor and hemp rope rigging system after a health and safety audit.
The fly floor was a platform along the stagehouse wall where stagehands operated the rigging system.
Scaffolding was installed as a replacement and is still in use.
An April report from council venues and events manager Erin Banks said the scaffolding was not fit for purpose and meant all lighting and audio work had to be done manually.
That resulted in higher staffing costs, longer set-up time and greater health and safety risk, it said.
“In line with council direction, officers are working with an independent consultant to review options and identify realistic pathways forward.”
A workshop for councillors was held in late April to consider possible interim and longer-term solutions.
On May 4, the Chronicle asked the council what the solutions were, their potential costs, the cost of scaffolding inspections and how many shows the opera house may have missed out on due to the lack of rigging.
In a written response on May 12, chief experiences officer Catherine Dutton said the council had no confirmed figures on how many shows or events could have been affected by the restrictions.
“What is clear is that the reduced flying capability limits what the venue can technically accommodate,” she said.
“While the scaffolding allows the opera house to remain open and host events, it has reduced usable stage and wing space and limited the range of productions the venue can support.”
The venue hosted Amdram Whanganui’s Les Miserables production in March.
Director Graham Dack said the scaffolding went in during Amdram’s 2023 Phantom of the Opera show, and the crew had to adapt quickly.
“Every time we’ve been in [since], we’ve accounted for that. It definitely drives creativity,” he said.
“But it does limit some of your staging opportunities for big musicals, if you’re moving set pieces on and off. You’ve got nowhere to store anything.
“Any more space side stage would be a benefit.”
Nine shows are booked at the venue for the rest of 2026, starting with the Smokefree Rockquest on May 16.
Others include the Whanganui Comedy Gala (June 27) and a concert by Shapeshifter (July 24).
Dutton said the April workshop gave councillors an update that staff were exploring “practical staged steps to improve stage functionality”, while a wider redevelopment case could be developed.
“No confirmed costings have been completed at this stage,” she said.
“The next steps include seeking independent structural advice, talking to Heritage New Zealand about the potential for a freestanding structure within the stagehouse, and costing any interim works.”
The 800-capacity venue, opened in 1900 and the country’s last Victorian theatre, received a Category 1 heritage listing in 1984 and a Royal Charter in 1999.
The council did not say how much scaffolding inspections cost.
A $12.75 million upgrade, including a new stagehouse and rigging system, was included in the council’s 2024-2034 Long-term Plan (LTP) but is proposed to be deferred for consideration in the 2027-2037 LTP.
This year, council strategy and partnerships programme manager Robyn Vickery said the project would comprise $8.5m in capital expenditure and $4.25m of associated grants, but “exploratory work is still ongoing”.
Architect Bruce Dickson was commissioned to write a conservation report on the facility in 2015.
He was the architect behind an earthquake-strengthening project in 2015 and 2016 and spoke during hearings on the council’s LTP in 2023.
Dickson told the Chronicle this week that, in his opinion, a new stagehouse was not required and the existing structure could be strengthened.
“When you buy a vintage car, you don’t put a V8 motor in it, with a spoiler and racing wheels, because it’s no longer a vintage car,” he said.
“The opera house was built for a certain level of production for which it’s ideally suited.
“All they need to do is fix that stage, and they can carry on doing what people have enjoyed for more than 100 years.”
The 2015 strengthening project did not include the stage because the council had a limited budget, Dickson said.
“Personally, I don’t think it would be difficult.
“There would be a cost attached to it, no doubt, but nothing compared to what [the council] is talking about [$12.75m].”
Mike Tweed is a 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 Whanganui District Council.