Ambitious plan to save the Italian Forum breaks ‘golden rule' of theatre
The new theatre, the brainchild of industry veterans Nathan M. Wright and Andrew Bevis, will be located in the Italian Cultural Centre at the forum and dubbed Teatro, in a nod to the venue's Italian roots. The venue has already been fitted out as a theatre, but has never fulfilled its potential as an arts and cultural hub. However the pair intend to improve it and stage shows there.
And they have broken the 'golden rule' of theatre with their ambitious venture.
'So, obviously, the golden rule of theatre is never invest your own money,' says Wright. 'And we haven't taken any notice of that. We've self-funded to get into this building. We want to be able to create great theatre.'
Wright and Bevis have long dreamt of having their own theatre where they can nurture young talent and stage high-calibre shows, but were unable to find the right space.
'We started looking at venue after venue,' says Wright. 'Then Andrew called me in December and said, 'I found it'. I said, 'What are you talking about?' He said, 'There's this theatre in Leichhardt'. And I said, 'A theatre? In Leichhardt?''
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After nearly seven months negotiating with Co.As.It, the not-for-profit Italian cultural organisation that owns the venue, Wright and Bevis sealed the deal and today receive the keys to their new theatre, which they have leased for two years with an option for a further four.
The premiere season will launch in October with a fully staged production of The Addams Family musical, featuring a young cast, many of whom are graduates of the THEatreBRIDGE training program run by Wright and Bevis. They will follow that up with the award-winning musical comedy The Prom in 2026.
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West Australian
44 minutes ago
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'It seems, even though Mr Robinson doesn't have a recollection of it… that Mr Robinson has disconnected the sling from the helicopter.' Matt Wright has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. (Lloyd Jones/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP Mr Gullaci said the chopper's engine may have failed but 'we don't know what happened, is the short answer, and it's not part of the case'. The court heard that on the morning of the crash, Mr Wright flew to the accident site with Mick Burns, who owns the crocodile egg harvesting business, and former NT police officer Neil Mellon. The barrister from Victoria told the jury that different witnesses had provided different accounts of what happened at the crash site. 'These people were close, close friends with both of the men, so they would have been visibly, emotionally distressed and upset,' he said. 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