Torquay Theatre Troupe AGM         8-9-2015

President’s Report

We’ve had another successful year, and again achieved our mission statement of ‘Providing quality Theatre for Torquay’

In December 2014 Michael Baker directed a famous and popular Australian play ‘Cosi’. It brought new actors for audiences to enjoy, and had return performers as well as faithful TTT regulars.

TTT presented the successful ‘A Skull in Connemara’ in May 2015, giving committee member Glen Barton the opportunity to direct for the first time and to hone new skills and achieve an ambitious vision. Besides featuring many skulls, we welcomed many new people keen to be involved in the production, as well as regular participants. The play was also performed at the National Celtic Festival, a first for TTT, and an extension of our profile outside the Surf Coast Shire.

In August TTT again presented a one act play at Front Beach for dinner Theatre, Eleven Fifty Six, directed by Gay Bell. This was also performed as a community service at Kithbrooke Park and Star of the Sea. As well, we competed at Anglesea One Act Play Festival and won several nominations and prizes. TTT was also invited to perform Eleven Fifty Six at the Airey’s Inlet Winter Festival.

We are presently rehearsing another Australian play ‘Away’ with guest director Stacey Carmichael, who was also in Cosi. Stacey is converting the performance area differently to how we’ve done before, and presenting the play in a minimalist way which expands both ours and the audience’s experience. ‘Away’ has a wide range of ages, bringing many new people to the troupe both on stage and in the audience, another of our aims.

TTT is growing and expanding at a pleasing sustainable rate, with new members joining during the year and becoming active participants, Zina Carman being a welcome new member of the committee. Our asset list of major equipment such as risers, trolleys and lights is also constantly expanding.

The fight for our own theatre built up even more pace during the year, and while our overall need of performance space is being heard by the council, our specific needs are not. We still live in hope, and there are possibilities in the wings, but not any time soon. But we do so well with what we have to work with at 16 Price St, many of our patrons love the cosiness of the hall and the ambience we manage, and our creativity in making it somewhere else.

Thank you to the hardworking Committee who achieve so much. You all have your area of expertise, and there are many extra tasks that you so willingly take on to achieve our mutual goals. And I’m pleased to announce that no one is leaving the committee, just 2 with a leave of absence, and that we’ll be welcoming a new member after the official bit.

And thank you to all the hardworking members who aren’t on the committee, but are a consistent invaluable part of the group, always ready to put their hand up and keep it up show after show. Couldn’t put on a performance without them. And then there are others still who say yes when they can and take on a task or help out in many ways, and are an integral part of the TTT tribe as well.

I’m really thrilled with the achievements and development of Torquay Theatre Troupe, and I’m so glad that, while we have done that, we have retained the feeling of family and cohesion of our early days. I hope we never lose that affection for each other and our ability to share it with all comers to the troupe.

Maryanne Patten-Doolan

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