The Court Theatre will reopen in a new part of town on December 10. Jeff Clark talks about reaching that goal and the ones that still lie ahead for the theatre and Christchurch (while touching on another event that prefers 'tries' to 'goals').

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It’s less than ten weeks until The Court Theatre opens its new theatre in Addington. After months of planning, fundraising and hard work, the “finish line” is in sight. The fundraising continues and, like the construction, is entering a most crucial stage. That line – the $4.6 million dollar line – is the line to be reached in fewer than seventy days. We have to dig deep and make that final sprint to get there.

Although, of course, it’s not a “finish line” but it is a line we will be glad to be over. It’s another marker on the road to recovery, of course, but this line simply marks the point between “getting ready to open” and “open”. There will still be money that needs to be raised, now with tickets that also need to be sold. There is a six-month season of plays planned in our new theatre - and then a full year’s season after that. There are letters to be sent to our supporters and subscribers. A season brochure to be finished. Signage to be made. Even as we push to reach one line, we are getting up to speed for the next one.

The running metaphor works pretty well for theatre. Each show has its own warm-up, jog, and mad dash for opening night. Even then, opening is just the start of the challenge to “keep the pace up” and sustain that momentum through to final night. If you’re lucky, you’re doing THAT while getting ready for the NEXT show. Behind the race of each show, there is the marathon that is the season, and behind THAT is the everlasting relay that is sustaining a theatre company.

If I can extend this metaphor to its fullest extent (or run it into the ground, so to speak), December 10th isn’t the finish line – it’s the wall we need to push through.

Keeping Pace

Okay, let’s drop the running analogy and look at rugby. Specifically, the international tournament that must not be named for Risks With Copyright. Or Real World Consequences. Or Random... Whiteboard... Chimpanzees.

A recent article said that Christchurch was largely missing out on the benefits from the influx of tourists – the majority understandably giving the city a wide berth or fleeting visit at best – and that the Tournament That Must Not Be Named hasn’t fully caught on with the people of Christchurch. Not a huge surprise, really.

However, there have been some great things on offer in the Fan Zone - and not just the odd experience of going out to a park to sit in a replica of a stadium to watch the game on a giant TV.

Of course, there are other things on offer there too. The Arts Festival wrapped up over the weekend, but the Body Festival continues, and the Fan Zone brings a number of opportunities for the arts to take the ball and run with it. “Garden Variety” offers a movable feast of entertainment, from live music to roaming characters, percussion to trampolining – capped with some cheerleading (it is right before the game, after all).

The Outwits present an abridged version of The Complete History of World Rugby (Abridged) – the February season of which was also abridged. I doubt the irony is lost on anyone as they perform their original romp through history.

I’m performing in The Court Jesters’ Scrum of Wits – worth attending if only to see me in shorts (please wear sunglasses in case of glare). Our first performance at Ferrymead’s Fan Zone came the day of Dan Carter’s elimination from the tournament, so the mood was understandably black (and not the good kind). However, the people there enjoyed themselves and we look forward to doing it again over the next few weekends.

Hearings and Voices

Finally, we have had the draft city plan hearings in progress. Arts Voice has advocated the River of Arts, Arts Circus and the Percentage for Arts scheme. The Isaac Theatre Royal has announced that, with an additional $2m- $3m of funding, they could be open by October 2012. Several more arts organisations (including The Court) will speak to their submissions on the draft city plan over the week.

While the ideas may vary widely, there is a common message that is already being made clear - the arts will be a vital part of – and contributor to - Christchurch’s rebuild. After all, we all have the same goal and are working hard to get our city back up and running as soon as possible.