CEO Craig Hassall remains optimistic that the Sydney home of OA will receive future investment from Baird.

“If it was the end of the story, we would of course be furious, but I’m hoping this is just the start of something bigger.” This was the reaction of Opera Australia CEO Craig Hassall earlier today in response to yesterday’s announcement by NSW Premier Mike Baird that the $202 million from the newly created $600 million Arts and Culture Infrastructure Fund due to be invested in upgrades to the Sydney Opera House would not include any improvements to the Joan Sutherland Theatre.

In an exclusive interview with Limelight, the opera boss confirmed that no money from the Arts and Culture Infrastructure Fund had yet been committed to upgrading the Sydney home of Opera Australia and the Australian Ballet, although he remained optimistic that Baird’s announcement yesterday heralded an ongoing commitment to financially supporting the arts community. Hassall hopes this will ensure future investment in the Opera House to underwrite improvements to the Joan Sutherland Theatre, although specifically when this might be was unclear.

However, whereas significant stage-size and acoustic upgrades have been promised for the Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall, Hassall said the “gold-plated Utzon designs,” which would involve a dramatic overhaul of the Joan Sutherland auditorium’s interiors, were “not up for discussion.” The Opera House’s refurbishment priorities for the Joan Sutherland Theatre would be limited to “back-of-house improvements to lifts, dimmer switches and theatre machinery,” and would also not include any improvements to the theatre’s acoustic, stage size or orchestra pit.  

Opera Australia CEO Craig Hassall

While Hassall acknowledged “the acoustic is something we’re keen to improve, and it’s on the table for examination with the Opera House,” the need to upgrade the theatre’s machinery, which was purchased 10 years before the completion of construction at the Opera House and is therefore 50 years old, was a “necessary evil,” adding, “this just has to be upgraded as soon as possible.” Fundraising to pay for these upgrades is currently part of Opera Australia’s ongoing Capital Fund campaign, which has been building the company’s financial reserves for the past fourteen years.

Hassall is confident that the substantial multi-million injection of dollars into the Sydney Opera House and Walsh Bay Precinct announced yesterday will be the first of many such financial commitments to the arts sector in NSW that will eventually equate to direct investment in the Joan Sutherland Theatre. “If [yesterday’s announcement] is an indication from the NSW Government about a commitment to the arts, that’s a really good thing,” he said. “Our conversations with Troy Grant (NSW Minister for the Arts) have been really positive. We’re fortunate to have a really engaged and hands-on Arts minister who’s really onside. He’s been to the opera a number of times, so he’s very aware of the quality of what we do but also the limitations. We’re very fortunate to have a government that are understanding of the issues and the constraints, and this announcement is a good indication that they are committed to solve these.”

Opera lovers in Sydney hoping for a radical overhaul of the Joan Sutherland Theatre may be disappointed, however Hassall remains acutely aware of the demands of Opera Australia’s public. “The Joan Sutherland has limitations in terms of the size of the stage and the size of the pit, but that’s not to say changes can’t be made to improve the experience of the audience and the performers and that’s absolutely on the table for examination.”