‘When this town is bigger, we’ll be glad to have this Theatre’

ACLX is the Waikato’s leading event production equipment supplier, so unsurprisingly they have been enthusiastic supporters of the Waikato Regional Theatre since it was first proposed six years ago.

Now they have backed that up with a serious donation to the Theatre project, as part of its ‘Business Collective Support’ programme.

Managing Director Aaron Chesham, who has been designing and rigging lights for local shows and parties since the late-1990s, says there is a clear demand here for a modern performing arts venue.

Aaron Chesham has been working in the events industry since the late 1990s.

“The Waikato needs and deserves a purpose-designed space for delivering complex and sophisticated entertainment events, it’s the infrastructure for the highly technical events that we haven’t been able to host in Hamilton for many years, since long before Founders was condemned,” says Aaron.

“We’re talking the flexibility that comes from having the ‘flying systems’ for scenery and staging, the wings, the acoustics, the sightlines, the accessibility, just generally the environment that a true theatre space offers that an arena doesn’t.

“From a personal perspective, I don’t want to go to Auckland or further afield to see the sorts of shows that I think I should be able to see locally.

“I’m looking forward to seeing everything here! From a musical theatre perspective, we’ll finally have a stage big enough for it to be financially viable to host those big touring shows and acts.

“There’s some spectacular stuff happening in Auckland and Wellington, Moulin Rouge and those sort of things. You can’t put Six60 on at The Meteor!

“I’m a strong an advocate for this transformation of the South End of town, so that it develops into the sort of dining and entertainment precinct I would like to go and visit - think Melbourne,” says Aaron.

ACLX are amazing event lighting designers.

“Hamilton is on the cusp of becoming a serious metropolitan city, and it has a well-engaged and informed hinterland.

“People will come for shows and dining from everywhere within a couple of hours’ drive - Hamilton has as much of a population catchment as Auckland. It will be more viable for the likes of the NZSO and the NZ Ballet to just do Hamilton, rather than both Tauranga and Rotorua, as they do now.

“Theatre spaces are devices for storytelling, they have an important role telling local and national stories, there’s a huge cultural benefit to them.

“In ten years when this town is bigger, we’ll be glad to have this modern Theatre on our doorstep,” says Aaron.

If your business would like a piece of the theatrical action, please consider following the example of local firms like ACLX, Thomson’s ITM and New World Rototuna by joining the Business Collective Support for the Waikato Regional Theatre. To find out more, please contact Momentum Waikato.