Lovers of independent cinema, live music and the arts are once again being asked to make a contribution to help secure the future of Castlemaine’s iconic Theatre Royal by becoming a ‘Loyal Royal’ member.
The inaugural ‘Loyal Royal’ membership drive in 2019 was a resounding success and has helped to ensure the theatre can continue as the beating heart of Castlemaine and integral part of the cultural, historical and artistic landscape in regional Victoria.
Theatre Royal operators Felicity Cripps and Tim Health said it had been an unprecedented year, yet they had survived and managed to bring more life and sparkle to the theatre than it had seen in years!
“With the help of over 500 Loyal Royal Members, we have been able to replace 15 leather couches downstairs and restored 60 cinema seats in the upper circle,” Felicity said.
“We have also upgraded the stage lighting and sound system and worked with the landlords and Heritage Victoria to tile the foyer floor to heritage standards,” she said.
“We were also thrilled to take out the award for Best Regional Live Music Venue in last year’s Music Victoria awards – the fifth time running for our Theatre Royal,” Tim said.
It has been a whirlwind year for the local couple who were also thrilled to welcome a beautiful baby girl just a few short weeks ago and are now hoping to extend their ‘Loyal Royal’ family to keep upgrading the historic theatre.
Tim said more works were currently underway to restore the upstairs area at the front of the building (currently a decommissioned area) and scaffolding works would begin over the next few months to restore the front left-hand side of the exterior wall, which dates back to the 1920s.
“For this year’s drive, we are aiming to restore the cinema seating in the left and right wings of the upper circle. We will also be seeking funds for the upgrading of our cinema projector, heating/cooling system and other essentials to keep the theatre running at an optimal level,” he said.
“We don’t know exactly what the future of cinema and live music will look like over the next few months and even years, but it is our mission to continue to be a part of this evolving landscape in regional music, arts and culture,” Felicity said.
The couple hope existing Loyal Royals will renew their love and new LR’s will join the fold.
To find out more visit www.theatreroyalcastlemaine.com.au
In breaking news the Theatre Royal is among three Castlemaine venues to receive funding as part of the state government’s $13 million lifeline for the state’s live music venues. See this Friday’s Castlemaine Mail for the full story.
