Theatre company sets a new stage

After more than 30 years in the brick theatre on Church St, the Abbey Musical Theatre society is upping sticks and moving to a new venue.

The group had been in negotiations for the past 12 months with Massey University, and began its move to the Hokowhitu campus auditorium last week.

"It's exciting to move on to the next step," says society president Allan Nagy. "We've been going 113 years, and this is the eighth or ninth step along the way in where the society's been."

The society has been outgrowing the Abbey Theatre for some time, he says. The Hokowhitu site is 50 per cent bigger, with double the stage size, 500 seats and a rehearsal space.

"Moving into a purpose-built theatre is a bit of luxury," says Mr Nagy with a chuckle. The process will take about a month.

The new space will allow the society to stage shows that were impossible in the past; either they were too big for the Abbey Theatre or too small for the Regent on Broadway. Shows such as Annie, Oliver and The Sound of Music are now all on the cards. The first show there will be The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas at the end of the year.

"Palmerston North will benefit. Having another venue like that will help the arts."

Former president John Spelman says they're looking to spend at least 10 years at Hokowhitu while researching the possibility of finally putting up a new theatre.

"It's a win-win situation for us and Massey. We can see how the bigger venue works before investing money in building our own."

The catalyst for the move was a damning report on the Abbey Theatre's earthquake vulnerability. Like All Saints' Church, it scored only three per cent (it needed at least 34) on the test. With repairs estimated to cost twice the value of the building repairs that would also destroy its viability as a theatre the society decided it was best to move on. Mr Nagy says it is investigating options about what to do with the building. The Costume Hire, adjacent but separate, will remain where it is.

Will it be sad to say goodbye to the old place?

"There'll be a few moments for those of us who've been here since day one," says Mr Spelman. "You sort of get attached to these places."

But that's tempered by the excitement of what the new theatre will bring.