Save the Regent!
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April 17:
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How do you renovate an old theatre? There are plenty examples of that online - including this account of work done at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, which is now hosting the sell-out success that is Billy Elliott. (Memo Anna Bligh: live theatres can be profitable.)
+ An in-development version of the new website is here. Your feedback is most welcome. Leave a comment on the site or email me. It will go live soon.
April 13:
The website will soon have a brand new look, with all the content from this site, plus more - including new photos and plans of what a restored Regent could look like, and the opportunity for you to post comments. It's in the building and testing stage now, and will be launched soon. When all is ready (by the end of this week, hopefully), this site should redirect you there.
April 9:
Theatre owner, entrepreneur and former television host Mike Walsh OBE has backed the campaign to save and restore the Regent. Here's what he says:
I think that saving and restoring The Regent Theatre Brisbane is a great idea , if a fully functional 1500 – 2000 seat live theatre can be built.
In a city growing as quickly and prosperously as Brisbane is, how marvellous to have another theatre for musicals ,etcetc. It could be an essential part of the equation in mounting large scale musicals ,and become part of the tour. The QPAC Lyric is a fine theatre, but there will be a need for an alternative, as commercial theatre is booming in the London West End,Broadway, and Europe.
The Aussietheatre.com website has also run a story about STR and has said it is backing the campaign.
April 6:
The Victorian Government is reportedly backing a plan to build a theme park in a bid to steal away some of the tourists who come the various "worlds" on the Gold Coast. Surely that's an incentive for the Queensland Government to restore the Regent as a live venue so we can steal some of the tourists who currently go to Melbourne to see big musicals.
April 5:
The saga of the YouTube video continues. A lot is being said about it on the Net - including at my Showbritz website. A new story at the Courier-Mail website quotes the originator of the video as saying "The Save The Regent people told Warner" Music about the clip. Not true. I contacted Paolo Nutini's publicist and asked whether the Scottish singer knew his music was being used in the video, and whether Paolo supported the proposed development of the Regent. Fair questions, I would have thought. His management then got back to me saying they knew nothing about it and had not given permission for the song to be used. I presume they then had Warner seek the removal of the clip. If they had responded that Paolo knew all about it and supported the development, I suppose that would have been a great story too (and a coup for the developers). The clip will, apparently, be re-posted with original music - and that's something I support. I disagree with the video-maker's enthusiasm for the project, but I will defend his right to have his say in an ethical manner.
- Brett Debritz
April 3:
The Views and Media pages have been updated.
April 2:
A pro-development video has been sprung for copyright infringement because it uses a mjsical track by Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini, who knows nothing about it. There's more here and here.
April 1:
In an article from thebrisbanetimes.com.au, the developers say they are redesigning their proposal for the Regent site. Presumably, this means they will include some cinemas in the plan and then resubmit it. Is this good enough? Does it really preserve the character of the last remaining grand old theatre in the heart of Brisbane?
March 29:
Cheryl Palmer has sent this message about her greatgrandfather, who was the master plasterer who helped build the Regent. It's a very heartfelt message and I urge you to read it and think about it. A grand old building like the Regent is a reminder of the people who built it, and of our collective past.
March 26:
The Save the Regent Facebook group now has 3002 members!
March 24:
The Views page has been updated (and repaired),as has the Save the Regent Facebook group.
March 23:
Just in case you think live theatre is old hat (as Premier Anna Bligh apparently does), read this story about the new BBC television show about the search for stars of a stage revival of Oliver!. Similar shows have been very popular in the UK (and the US) - and they prove that live entertainment is far from dead. Perhaps the first show at a newly restored Regent could be promoted via a similar TV program. If you'd like to see that, please sign the petition to have the theatre preserved and restored to its former glory.
March 19:
If you haven't signed the petition yet, please do so. If you're not comfortable doing it online, or you have friends who are not internet connected, details of a public signing session will be posted here soon.
If you are interested in other heritage issues, you can read about the battle to save Yungaba at Kangaroo Point, here.
March 16:
Congratulations to Campbell Newman, who has been re-elected Lord Mayor of Brisbane - especially as he is on the record as saying that he will protect the Regent. Please continue to let him know a lot of us care what happens. The Views and Links pages have been updated (email addresses for unsuccessful council candidates have been removed).
March 15:
Latest media link: Push for Regent to become live venue (Brisbane Times)
March 12:
If you are voting in this weekend's Brisbane City Council election, this might be a good time to remind the candidates that the Regent is important to you - and you expect the fight to save it to continue after the poll.
March 11:
Lance Reynolds, former Brisbane boy who was in the 1970s band Silver Studs and is now the president of Atlantic Film and Television in New York, writes:
"I had my first office in the Regent Theatre, look up at the facade and I was the windows on the right.
"The inspiration and the history of that Theatre I can never forget. I have gone on to work with everyone from Mel Gibson to Oprah Winfrey but it all started at the Regent. When I produced Paperback Hero starring Hugh Jackman, it was my request to have the world premiere at the Regent.
"Please do whatever you can to save this wonderful place."
March 10:
One "Save the Regent" group on Facebook now has 2,786 members, another has 1,285, and a new third group has 220.
March 9:
There's a thought about the development proposal on the debritz.net blog, here.
March 8:
Some very interesting news about the Regent could be released soon. Stay tuned.
March 7:
The mystery of the whereabouts of bits and pieces from the old Regent has deepened. Art deco copper flashing from the original box office is being sold-off on e-bay.com.au. Details would be greatly appreciated.
March 6:
I know a lot of people have already done so, but if you haven't and you can - i.e. you're a resident of Queensland - please sign this e-petition (even if you have signed one of the others, as this one carries specific recommendations).
March 5:
I received an anonymous email directing me to this site which sets out the developer's plans. According to the site, the proposed 38-level tower will be"a much needed catalyst for the rejuvenation of the Queen Street Mall an Elizabeth Street". It also says the foyer is the only part that is heritage-listed, and it will be retained, and that the imminent loss of the tenant "suggests the venue is no longer viable as a cinema". "Suggests" is the key word here; they obviously have done no homework on the matter, nor have they looked at the more viable suggestion of the Regent becoming a large theatre again.
The site also doesn't say:
+ That their plans will rob Brisbane of its last remaining grand theatre;
+ What the likelhood is of damage to the foyer when the tower is built;
+ Whether the retained foyer will be available for public use;
+ Whether the developers are willing to look at other options;
+ What will happen to the foyer when the tower is ultimately demolished, as it surely will be.
March 4:
One of the furphies doing the rounds (thanks, in part, to a newspaper column) is that the Regent "isn't worth saving" because the original auditorium isn't there. We all know that the big theatre was demolished in the 1970s and four cinemas built in its place. But we also know that the original can be restored, just as countless theatres around the world have been - including the Regent in Melbourne (which was rebuilt after a fire in the 1940s and saved again more recently when the government brokered a deal with the developers to reopen the theatre and build their skyscraper elsewhere) and the Regent in Palmerston North, New Zealand (where the council actually bought the property and, with public support, brought a wonderful old theatre back to life). This can happen in Brisbane, and that's what the petition is all about.
+ The Links have been fixed.
March 3:
A specific petition to State Parliament calling for the restoration of the Regent as a 1500-2000 seat theatre is here. I urge you to sign it (even if you have signed other petitions). - BD
The Views page has been updated again. Over at Facebook, the two Save the Regent groups are still growing, with 2605 and 1246 members respectively.
March 2:
Geoffrey Rush has made a second statement regarding the Regent, in response to Premier Anna Bligh's promise to save it from the current redevelopment proposal. In the statement, the Oscar-winning actor calls for a 1500-2000 seat theatre on the site. This is absolutely the way to go. Brisbane only has one such venue for big live shows - the Lyric Theatre - and it is committed for much of the year. A venue that could host an open-ended run of a big show - like Sydney's Capitol and Melbourne's Princess, Regent and His Majesty's theatres - would be a welcome addition to the city's cultural landscape and has a much better chance of being commercially viable than a clutch of small cinemas (which seems to be the premier's preference). Of course, it would have to be built as closely as possible in the style of the theatre's original auditorium, which was demolished 30 years ago.
Meanwhile, the mystery of the Regent's furniture deepens. Many people recall seeing lots of those grand old chairs in the foyer after the original theatre was converted into the current multi-cinema complex, but some people associated with the proposed development seem to be saying they disappeared 30 years ago. My informants say the chairs disappeared quite recently, and there are photos to prove they were in place not so long ago. What's going on?
March 1:
A correspondent asks: given that he's just purchased the Dendy group, might Mel Gibson be interested in buying and restoring the Regent?
Des Houghton's pro-development column in today's Courier-Mail ostensibly sets out to correct the record but has many flaws of its own.
My response to some of his points:
+ The campaign to save the Regent started not with politicians, but with people power on the Internet, first with two Facebook groups started independently on the same day. More than 3500 people have now joined these sites, and/or logged on to the website savetheregent.com. Others are taking up the fight in more "conventional" ways.
+ Yes, the original auditorium of the Regent was destroyed 30 years ago, but that doesn't mean it can't be restored now. The example of the Regent in Melbourne makes a compelling case for the commercial viability of such a restoration.
+ "Sad commercial realty" is one thing; preserving and restoring our cultural heritage is another.
+ There is no reason why a deal cannot be brokered to allow John Wardle Architects' wonderful office tower to be built elsewhere.
- BD
- Brett Debritz
News archive:
Older News content has been archived here. (Read it from the bottom!)
Theatre owner, entrepreneur and former television host Mike Walsh OBE has backed the campaign to save and restore the Regent. Here's what he says:
I think that saving and restoring The Regent Theatre Brisbane is a great idea , if a fully functional 1500 – 2000 seat live theatre can be built.
In a city growing as quickly and prosperously as Brisbane is, how marvellous to have another theatre for musicals ,etcetc. It could be an essential part of the equation in mounting large scale musicals ,and become part of the tour. The QPAC Lyric is a fine theatre, but there will be a need for an alternative, as commercial theatre is booming in the London West End,Broadway, and Europe.
The Aussietheatre.com website has also run a story about STR and has said it is backing the campaign.
April 6:
The Victorian Government is reportedly backing a plan to build a theme park in a bid to steal away some of the tourists who come the various "worlds" on the Gold Coast. Surely that's an incentive for the Queensland Government to restore the Regent as a live venue so we can steal some of the tourists who currently go to Melbourne to see big musicals.
April 5:
The saga of the YouTube video continues. A lot is being said about it on the Net - including at my Showbritz website. A new story at the Courier-Mail website quotes the originator of the video as saying "The Save The Regent people told Warner" Music about the clip. Not true. I contacted Paolo Nutini's publicist and asked whether the Scottish singer knew his music was being used in the video, and whether Paolo supported the proposed development of the Regent. Fair questions, I would have thought. His management then got back to me saying they knew nothing about it and had not given permission for the song to be used. I presume they then had Warner seek the removal of the clip. If they had responded that Paolo knew all about it and supported the development, I suppose that would have been a great story too (and a coup for the developers). The clip will, apparently, be re-posted with original music - and that's something I support. I disagree with the video-maker's enthusiasm for the project, but I will defend his right to have his say in an ethical manner.
- Brett Debritz
April 3:
The Views and Media pages have been updated.
April 2:
A pro-development video has been sprung for copyright infringement because it uses a mjsical track by Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini, who knows nothing about it. There's more here and here.
April 1:
In an article from thebrisbanetimes.com.au, the developers say they are redesigning their proposal for the Regent site. Presumably, this means they will include some cinemas in the plan and then resubmit it. Is this good enough? Does it really preserve the character of the last remaining grand old theatre in the heart of Brisbane?
March 29:
Cheryl Palmer has sent this message about her greatgrandfather, who was the master plasterer who helped build the Regent. It's a very heartfelt message and I urge you to read it and think about it. A grand old building like the Regent is a reminder of the people who built it, and of our collective past.
March 26:
The Save the Regent Facebook group now has 3002 members!
March 24:
The Views page has been updated (and repaired),as has the Save the Regent Facebook group.
March 23:
Just in case you think live theatre is old hat (as Premier Anna Bligh apparently does), read this story about the new BBC television show about the search for stars of a stage revival of Oliver!. Similar shows have been very popular in the UK (and the US) - and they prove that live entertainment is far from dead. Perhaps the first show at a newly restored Regent could be promoted via a similar TV program. If you'd like to see that, please sign the petition to have the theatre preserved and restored to its former glory.
March 19:
If you haven't signed the petition yet, please do so. If you're not comfortable doing it online, or you have friends who are not internet connected, details of a public signing session will be posted here soon.
If you are interested in other heritage issues, you can read about the battle to save Yungaba at Kangaroo Point, here.
March 16:
Congratulations to Campbell Newman, who has been re-elected Lord Mayor of Brisbane - especially as he is on the record as saying that he will protect the Regent. Please continue to let him know a lot of us care what happens. The Views and Links pages have been updated (email addresses for unsuccessful council candidates have been removed).
March 15:
Latest media link: Push for Regent to become live venue (Brisbane Times)
March 12:
If you are voting in this weekend's Brisbane City Council election, this might be a good time to remind the candidates that the Regent is important to you - and you expect the fight to save it to continue after the poll.
March 11:
Lance Reynolds, former Brisbane boy who was in the 1970s band Silver Studs and is now the president of Atlantic Film and Television in New York, writes:
"I had my first office in the Regent Theatre, look up at the facade and I was the windows on the right.
"The inspiration and the history of that Theatre I can never forget. I have gone on to work with everyone from Mel Gibson to Oprah Winfrey but it all started at the Regent. When I produced Paperback Hero starring Hugh Jackman, it was my request to have the world premiere at the Regent.
"Please do whatever you can to save this wonderful place."
March 10:
One "Save the Regent" group on Facebook now has 2,786 members, another has 1,285, and a new third group has 220.
March 9:
There's a thought about the development proposal on the debritz.net blog, here.
March 8:
Some very interesting news about the Regent could be released soon. Stay tuned.
March 7:
The mystery of the whereabouts of bits and pieces from the old Regent has deepened. Art deco copper flashing from the original box office is being sold-off on e-bay.com.au. Details would be greatly appreciated.
March 6:
I know a lot of people have already done so, but if you haven't and you can - i.e. you're a resident of Queensland - please sign this e-petition (even if you have signed one of the others, as this one carries specific recommendations).
March 5:
I received an anonymous email directing me to this site which sets out the developer's plans. According to the site, the proposed 38-level tower will be"a much needed catalyst for the rejuvenation of the Queen Street Mall an Elizabeth Street". It also says the foyer is the only part that is heritage-listed, and it will be retained, and that the imminent loss of the tenant "suggests the venue is no longer viable as a cinema". "Suggests" is the key word here; they obviously have done no homework on the matter, nor have they looked at the more viable suggestion of the Regent becoming a large theatre again.
The site also doesn't say:
+ That their plans will rob Brisbane of its last remaining grand theatre;
+ What the likelhood is of damage to the foyer when the tower is built;
+ Whether the retained foyer will be available for public use;
+ Whether the developers are willing to look at other options;
+ What will happen to the foyer when the tower is ultimately demolished, as it surely will be.
March 4:
One of the furphies doing the rounds (thanks, in part, to a newspaper column) is that the Regent "isn't worth saving" because the original auditorium isn't there. We all know that the big theatre was demolished in the 1970s and four cinemas built in its place. But we also know that the original can be restored, just as countless theatres around the world have been - including the Regent in Melbourne (which was rebuilt after a fire in the 1940s and saved again more recently when the government brokered a deal with the developers to reopen the theatre and build their skyscraper elsewhere) and the Regent in Palmerston North, New Zealand (where the council actually bought the property and, with public support, brought a wonderful old theatre back to life). This can happen in Brisbane, and that's what the petition is all about.
+ The Links have been fixed.
March 3:
A specific petition to State Parliament calling for the restoration of the Regent as a 1500-2000 seat theatre is here. I urge you to sign it (even if you have signed other petitions). - BD
The Views page has been updated again. Over at Facebook, the two Save the Regent groups are still growing, with 2605 and 1246 members respectively.
March 2:
Geoffrey Rush has made a second statement regarding the Regent, in response to Premier Anna Bligh's promise to save it from the current redevelopment proposal. In the statement, the Oscar-winning actor calls for a 1500-2000 seat theatre on the site. This is absolutely the way to go. Brisbane only has one such venue for big live shows - the Lyric Theatre - and it is committed for much of the year. A venue that could host an open-ended run of a big show - like Sydney's Capitol and Melbourne's Princess, Regent and His Majesty's theatres - would be a welcome addition to the city's cultural landscape and has a much better chance of being commercially viable than a clutch of small cinemas (which seems to be the premier's preference). Of course, it would have to be built as closely as possible in the style of the theatre's original auditorium, which was demolished 30 years ago.
Meanwhile, the mystery of the Regent's furniture deepens. Many people recall seeing lots of those grand old chairs in the foyer after the original theatre was converted into the current multi-cinema complex, but some people associated with the proposed development seem to be saying they disappeared 30 years ago. My informants say the chairs disappeared quite recently, and there are photos to prove they were in place not so long ago. What's going on?
March 1:
A correspondent asks: given that he's just purchased the Dendy group, might Mel Gibson be interested in buying and restoring the Regent?
Des Houghton's pro-development column in today's Courier-Mail ostensibly sets out to correct the record but has many flaws of its own.
My response to some of his points:
+ The campaign to save the Regent started not with politicians, but with people power on the Internet, first with two Facebook groups started independently on the same day. More than 3500 people have now joined these sites, and/or logged on to the website savetheregent.com. Others are taking up the fight in more "conventional" ways.
+ Yes, the original auditorium of the Regent was destroyed 30 years ago, but that doesn't mean it can't be restored now. The example of the Regent in Melbourne makes a compelling case for the commercial viability of such a restoration.
+ "Sad commercial realty" is one thing; preserving and restoring our cultural heritage is another.
+ There is no reason why a deal cannot be brokered to allow John Wardle Architects' wonderful office tower to be built elsewhere.
- BD
- Brett Debritz
News archive:
Older News content has been archived here. (Read it from the bottom!)
"The inspiration and the history of that Theatre I can never forget. I have gone on to work with everyone from Mel Gibson to Oprah Winfrey but it all started at the Regent. When I produced Paperback Hero starring Hugh Jackman, it was my request to have the world premiere at the Regent.
"Please do whatever you can to save this wonderful place."
+ Yes, the original auditorium of the Regent was destroyed 30 years ago, but that doesn't mean it can't be restored now. The example of the Regent in Melbourne makes a compelling case for the commercial viability of such a restoration.
+ "Sad commercial realty" is one thing; preserving and restoring our cultural heritage is another.
+ There is no reason why a deal cannot be brokered to allow John Wardle Architects' wonderful office tower to be built elsewhere.