Riverside Theatres has launched its 2015 main season. What are the most important factors to consider in tailoring the lineup for your local audience?
There are a number of factors: audience appeal, excellence, genre and content diversity, creative innovation and the potential to surprise. We look for opportunities to provide our current and potential audiences with the opportunity to select the highest-quality productions from first-class new and contemporary work and interpretative productions of existing work.
2015 begins with The Phantom Of The Opera. What inspired you to plan such a famous musical?
It is one of the most well-known and most successful musicals ever and we love partnering with Packemin Productions and director Neil Gooding to present such a popular musical.
The Riverside Production Shellshock will premiere at the venue. What’s the story behind it?
Shellshock by Justin Fleming is new play commissioned by Riverside. It is an unusual love story between an Australian teenager and his mate Herman, a tortoise – the oldest living survivor of the Gallipoli campaign. It’s for young and not-so-young audiences and features Turkish shadow puppets. It’s one of three productions in 2015 commemorating 100 years of ANZAC.
For those who aren’t familiar with Riverside, what’s the history behind it?
It was opened 27 years ago in February 1988 by Prime Minister Hawke as part of Bicentenary celebrations. Riverside has three theatres and presents over 1,000 performances and events annually with attendances in excess of 130,000 per annum. We are currently planning to redevelop and rebuild a new centre for the 21st century.
What’s the mission statement for Riverside Theatres when it comes to offering a quality experience to audiences?
Riverside aims to deliver high-quality and culturally diverse performance programs and events engaging international, national and local talent. We aim to develop and promote cultural understanding and the unique identity of Western Sydney though performance and education.
To see the full Riverside Theatres season 2015 program, head to their website.
