Waikato Times: What’s happening with the regional theatre? Our questions get some Sharp answers

Originally published in the Waikato Times, with video, Saturday 3 August 2024.

By Mike Mather.

Like some glorious, well-rehearsed production of the kind that will soon be staged within its walls, the Waikato Regional Theatre is coming together.

“Theatre watching” has, over the past few years, become an activity peculiar to the denizens of downtown Hamilton. The currently-mushrooming building is a unique spectacle: The literal transformation of the very heart of the city.

Among those watching most closely as the $80 million facility on Victoria St rapidly takes shape is Gus Sharp, the theatre’s general manager.

Sharp is a guiding hand for everything that is happening in the project led by Fosters Construction. The man with the plan.

A common question he is often asked is: When can we all make a circle in our calendars around a certain date to mark opening night?

This artist’s impression of the Waikato Regional Theatre. This view shows the windows that will look out from the foyer onto the Waikato River - which will be the next big development in the ongoing construction.

That’s a question that - this week at least - he is unable to give a precise answer to.

“We still have number of critical path milestones to complete before we can give a month, but we are still aiming for middle to late 2025.”

The original date the theatre was meant to be opening was sometime this year.

However, there have been a few unexpected delays that have slowed things up in various ways.

These have included the discovery of a hidden cellar under the foundations of the old Hamilton Hotel that preceded the theatre, which needed to be investigated.

Also, a special type of paint needed for coating structural steel was in very short supply in New Zealand - necessitating the search for and securing of the paint from somewhere in Europe.

“We also had to go back to market for highly specific subcontractors, for example the stage engineering - the systems that turn a box into a stage, [and] the lift to help get pianos on stage.”

Waikato Regional Theatre general manager Gus Sharp says he is thrilled with progress on the construction of the new facility. Photo: Mark Jephson / WAIKATO TIMES.

However, Sharp is keen to point out the theatre build has experienced “no major hiccups that are out of the ordinary for a project of this scale”.

“We have always prioritised doing things properly over doing them quickly. Sometimes this means taking our time and rethinking how we go about making this theatre as future-proof, sustainable and efficient as possible.”

Sharp says the biggest single challenge of the entire project - for him, personally - is living up to the expectations of Waikato residents.

“We want to make sure that we have a full, vibrant, successful and sustainable theatre for the Waikato. That responsibility is taken seriously by every member of our team - trustees, myself, contractors, consultants and donors.”

Another serious question Sharp is as yet unable to answer is which bands, acts and shows will be among the first to perform at the new theatre.

The new Waikato Regional Theatre is rapidly taking shape - and this is not even its final form. Photo: Mark Jephson / WAIKATO TIMES.

“We have been inundated with requests to book from both domestic and international presenters, which proves that touring artists are hungry for new audiences,” Sharp said.

“At the moment, all requests are going in as expressions of interest. We want to ensure we have a balanced opening programme, catering to a diverse range of audiences and showcasing the best of both local and international performance.”

For the theatre watchers avidly keeping tabs on the construction, the next major change they will witness will likely be the installation of windows on the majestic lobby overlooking the Waikato River.

The awa-oriented aspect is unique to the theatre, which will make the most of the circumstances of its location.

If it all sounds a bit grandiose, Hamilton’s ratepayers and taxpayers need not fear being left footing any kind of multi-million-dollar bill. The Waikato Regional Property Trust - the entity that owns and will run the theatre - are likewise insulated

“We have a fixed price with Fosters. Changes in costs of materials or services are borne by Fosters not the trust,” Sharp said.

“This means that the project cannot go over budget unless we add or change things. Sometimes we opt to change things when it will have a lasting benefit for either performers, audiences or operators.

“Before making such changes, we make sure we are able to find a business case for them. The budget is tight and, as anyone who’s built a house knows, opportunities present themselves during construction. We need to carefully judge which opportunities to seize and which to let go.

Some of the areas where the project has saved money include “things like changing the method by which we build in workstations, or desks, or makeup areas. Or changing from vinyl flooring to concrete in the high traffic back of house areas.”

Philanthropic organisation Momentum Waikato is continuing to fundraise for the final $2m needed to allow the theatre to begin its post-construction life completely debt-free, and Sharp adds that the trust “are also currently in productive discussions to bridge this gap”.

He can’t say much more about that. For now, anyway.

Like the construction work itself, it is a situation best described as “watch this space“.