Originally published in Waikato Times, Monday 22 July 2024.
By Mike Mather.
The museum forecourt and entranceway is going to be replaced as part of a forthcoming $7.2 million upgrade - and that means Riff Raff has to get out of the way. PHOTO: Mark Taylor / WAIKATO TIMES.
This week could be the last opportunity for quite some time for the people of Kirikiriroa to view Hamilton’s least controversial statue.
Riff Raff, currently holding vigil outside Waikato Museum, is going to be put into storage for about 13 or 14 months while a $7.2 million upgrade of the museum is undertaken.
It’s a case of history repeating - or possibly a time warp again - for the effigy of the genial extraterrestrial butler from The Rocky Horror Picture Show: He was forced out of his traditional home in Embassy Park in October 2021 to avoid damage during the construction of the neighbouring Waikato Regional Theatre.
On that occasion, it proved to be a simple jump to the left, with Riff Raff re-emerging the following March in his new home outside the museum, just down the road.
Riff Raff cuts a striking figure outside the museum - but not for much longer. PHOTO: Mark Taylor / WAIKATO TIMES.
This time around, it’s a little bit different. With work still under way on the theatre, there’s nowhere for Riff Raff to go, except into storage.
Whether this means he could soon be rubbing shoulders with arguably the city’s most controversial statue - Captain Hamilton, who is also in storage after being unceremoniously plucked from the ground outside the Hamilton City Council offices in June 2020 - remains unknown.
Certainly, council staff are not saying.
“For security reasons, we don’t disclose storage facilities,” said destinations group general manager Sean Murray in response to Waikato Times inquiries.
“Due to the nature of the statue, we are looking at several methods to remove him safely and whether this can be achieved with the plinth attached or not.
The Captain Hamilton statue had to be hauled out of the ground from Civic Square after threats were made to topple it in 2020. The captain may soon have some additional statuesque company if Riff Raff joins him in a city council storage facility.
PHOTO: Christel Yardley / WAIKATO TIMES.
“We are working through these scenarios to determine the best storage location before its return to Embassy Park in 2025.”
Riff Raff Public Arts Trust founder Mark Servian said every effort had been made to find an appropriate place were Riff Raff could remain on display, but it was concluded some time spent out of the public eye would be the best solution.
This, however, meant that Riff Raff - who was erected in 2004 - would be absent for his own 20th anniversary in November.
“So we have decided to simply hold off and celebrate his 21st anniversary instead. Because that’s what we do in New Zealand, isn’t it. We celebrate twenty-firsts, not twentieths.”
Murray held a similar view.
“Riff Raff holds a special place in Hamilton’s central city and will venture back to its new and improved home next year. A pretty nice way to celebrate a 21st year.
“We are all excited about the opening of the theatre and activation of the space around it where Riff Raff will be positioned.
“This is going to be a gamechanger in creating a thriving central city through arts and culture.”
Riff Raff, the hunchbacked housekeeper of eccentric transvestite scientist Frank N Furter, was played by Rocky Horror creator and former Hamiltonian Richard O’Brien in the stage musical and subsequent cinematic adaptation.
The statue was designed by another former Hamiltonian, Greg Broadmore of Weta Workshop, who has created creatures and robots for movies like Godzilla, King Kong and District 9, as well as the Doctor Grordbort's Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory series of books and games.