By Mikayla van Loon
Lilydale’s ARKTheatre has had a challenging start to the year with its performing base at Lilydale Heights College undergoing renovations leaving the company in need of somewhere to host upcoming performances.
“It’s been a big distraction from performing, on top of Covid it has compounded the concern but we have regrouped,” ARKTheatre foundation member Jimmy Dunne said.
Returning from two years being mostly unable to perform, Mr Dunne said the theatre company was excited about getting back putting on the ARKFest in March.
Unfortunately with the renovations taking place at the Performing Arts Centre, the show was unable to go ahead and has been pushed to later in the year.
Nevertheless, Mr Dunne said ARK has been researching venue locations in the local area to continue bringing live performances to the community.
“We’ve found through research that Yarra Ranges Council has upgraded town halls with appropriate equipment and lighting [and that] eldery citizen halls and shire town halls are quite cheap,” he said.
“As far as the financial side goes, there are venue options a not-for-profit theatre company can choose from so it can continue.”
One of those options includes the Mount Evelyn Town Hall, where ARK plans to host its next play in September, although the title is yet to be revealed.
“We are just starting to put all the nuts and bolts together and we’re in the early stages of bringing the play to life,” Mr Dunne said.
The One Act Play Festival, which is performed at various locations across the state, Mr Dunne said caters to this need to perform wherever the opportunity arises.
This is something that returns to ARKTheatre’s original values when it started in 2012.
“We will perform anywhere. When we first started, we didn’t want to be traditional, we wanted a point of difference and that was to perform at different locations.”
Having lost sight of this slightly, becoming comfortable at the Lilydale Performing Arts Centre, Mr Dunne said it’s nice to be able to go back to that mission statement from 10 years ago.
Although Lilydale Heights College has advised ARKTheatre they can return to using the facility in 2023, Mr Dunne said he expects the hiring costs will increase, perhaps outside what the company can afford.
Luckily, ARKTheatre has been gifted storage spaces in sheds and shipping containers across the shire, as well as a Sunday rehearsal space at the Mount Evelyn RSL.
Taking on the mantra of performing wherever they can, Mr Dunne said the successful outdoor youth production at Melba Park last year is something the theatre group would like to see return in January 2023.
