Scenery for Local Productions
Australia’s largest commercial set building facility has been acquired by Theatre Safe Australia (TSA) and is open for business for theatre companies and schools of all sizes.
The Scenery Workshop in Adelaide has been the manufacturing hub for sets, ranging from The Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Matilda to Moulin Rouge, since the facility was launched in 1979.
TSA took over management of the facilities, described as a hub for the fine art of scenic building, painting, construction and electrics, from the Adelaide Festival Centre in August.
The company is offering its services for major touring productions and smaller companies on a budget.
In a recent project, the workshop team created a visually stunning set which they hired to Pelican Productions for their stage show Chicago - High School Edition.
Pelican Productions is a vital part of the performing arts community in South Australia and has a dedicated team of professional vocal tutors and choreographers who foster young up and coming talent in musical theatre.
The set is also being adapted for their latest production, School of Rock, which is financially beneficial to spread the hire cost across different shows.
Kylie Green, Director of Pelican Productions said, “The visual effects of the scenic elements that were added to the stage helped to bring our production to life. Our budding young performers were immersed in the magic of theatre, along with the vibrant and enthusiastic audience.”
Now part of TSA, Duncan Barton, Workshop Production Development Officer, explains how it’s opened the workshop to new channels to reach local schools and community theatre.
“Our passion for creating magnificent scenery does not stop in the workshop. We want to assist creating pathways for young people and aim to inspire the future of performing arts in Australia. Our skilled team work closely with schools, colleges and universities to build and maintain stage sets that bring local productions to life.”
Under one roof the TSA Workshop offers carpentry, engineering, sculpture and props, scenic painting, set electrics, rigging and automation, theatre maintenance, drapes, scenery hire, workshop tours and educators’ professional learning events. For the schools and local community theatre, the workshop can now offer set building and hire, rigging and automation and maintenance programmes.
