Ballarat National Theatre Turns 75
The Ballarat National Theatre celebrates 75 years with a short documentary filmproduced by Wind & Sky Productions.
The film features core members of the Ballarat National Theatre, past and present, and reflects on the significance and history of the company.
The film contains behind-the-scenes shots of the company’s 2013 season (the company stages four productions a year in the SMB Courthouse Theatre in Ballarat). The film’s producers spent several months filming rehearsals, set construction and opening nights. ‘We hope we’ve captured the essence of a theatre company which has a strong traditional base but is full of energy,’ says Lucinda Horrocks, the film’s co-producer. ‘And the quality of their productions is pretty impressive.’
As part of the story, the film-makers took a step back in time and visited the site of the original theatre founded by the Ballarat National Theatre in Camp Street Ballarat, in the former ANA building. Sadly for the many players and theatre-goers of the time the venue, known as the ‘Little Theatre,’ closed in 1984. The building has since been renovated into office space for employment training. ‘There’s not much left of the Little Theatre now,’ says Horrocks. ‘There used to be a picture palace up above and this tiny little theatre down below. Many local people still have fond memories of it.’
The Ballarat National Theatre was founded in 1938 and has been putting on live performances continuously since then. It is one of the few remaining drama companies founded by Gertrude Johnson’s Australian National Theatre Movement. ‘This is why it has such a grand-sounding name,’ says Horrocks. ‘It was part of a broader movement which emerged in the 1930s to foster and encourage excellence in the Australian performing arts.’
Ultimately the producers hope the film is a testament to community. ‘We like to celebrate volunteerism in Australia, but usually by that we mean sport or charity activities. This story is about a voluntary dramatic theatre group which has been doing amazing things for the community for 75 years.’
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