SOS FROM RICHMOND, VIC
”Dear Theatre Pals,” begins an email from VAN BADHAM.
”Have you ever had the dream to just go out there, get your own damn building and make some theatre with blood and guts and joie de vivre?
”Well, some friends of mine in Melbourne did it. Tobes and Glyn found an old knitting warehouse and made a 44 seat theatre out of dedication, yarn and some gaffer tape. They recruited 25 playwrights, 25 directors and a small army of actors and were an entire two days into a spectacularly ambitious month-long program of nightly new writing readings when the local council - who previously had LOVED the idea of a hip, boutique theatre in their neighbourhood, and had given the space the go ahead - shut them down. Why? They had some complaints about "Increased footfall".
”For a 44-seat space. In a major pedestrian area. Next to a train station. 500 metres away from the 100,000 seat Melbourne Cricket Ground.
”Commentators suggest that the ludicrous closure, once the season had already started, is nothing more than a distraction designed to take attention away from a present bribery scandal involving the council taking money from local illegal brothels and no I am not making this up.
”Tobes and Glyn and their MKA space are all the things we want theatre to be - exciting, raw, experimental, fearless, fun. Not to mention that dedicated new writing venues are desperately thin on the ground in Australia, and council pettiness is closing off a desperately needed venue for growth and play.
Can you spare TWO whole minutes to email them a solidarity message? All it needs to say is something along the lines of:
”’I just heard about the closure of MKA. It's appalling that a local council is trampling on such a valuable cultural asset to the community. I support your fight to keep the space open, and condemn the pettiness of the council. Solidarity!’
”Then, add your name, a title if you've got one ("Actor" will do, "Artistic Director of the National Theatre" also good) and your mailing address, and email it to: bringbackthetheatre@mkarichmond.com.au
"Please spread the word," says Van. MKA is on Facebook and you can find out more on MKA’s site: www.mkarichmond.com.au
