Rudman's city: $42m wonderland we paid for - but can't look at

By BRIAN RUDMAN

The press releases flew out of Auckland City headquarters last week full of self-praise for the top heritage award the restored Civic Theatre had picked up in the Institute of Architects' latest awards.

A "world-class job" fizzed finance and property committee chairwoman Kay McKelvie.

"A welcome repolish for a much loved piece of Auckland jewellery," said the judges. "The result is a superb contemporary theatre facility which is still drenched with the signature mad fruitiness that generations have come to love."

Sadly there was not a word about letting the public to view this restored wonderland. At lunchtime yesterday, the front doors were, as usual, bolted, the interior in darkness.

And so it has been, for most of the time since the $42 million, ratepayer-funded restoration project ended 18 months ago.

Councillors blather on about attracting tourists to Auckland, but here, where the politicians have the opportunity to practise what they preach and provide a new attraction, all they do is dither.

The result is that this wonder of the theatrical world stays locked away from the public gaze, almost as securely off limits as Tutankhamen's tomb once was. Not even a tourist brochure has been prepared telling the theatre's exotic history

Mdembers of the public have two ways of getting a look inside. One is to gather a group of friends and seek a guided tour. The catch is that you have to provide at least 40, each paying $12.50 before the management will open up.

For that, you get your money's worth with a comprehensive, two-hour-plus tour, including a film show, historical talk and demonstration of the starlit sky, cloud machines and so on.

But how many tourists or Aucklanders have 39 friends they can get together to join such a tour?

The other option is to sneak in the door in the hour or so before a show starts. There are a few drawbacks here.

First, there aren't that many shows in the place. In the month before the award was announced, for example, no public events were held there.

When shows are on, the doors normally open only from 6pm or 7pm. All-day exceptions this year included the Incredible Film Festival in April and the upcoming International Film Festival.

Even then, non-show-goers cannot see inside the auditorium or go down to the Wintergarden.

So what's the problem? Lack of political leadership is the short answer. So far the politicians have bowed to Edge chief executive Greg Innes' claim that regular tours would be "unbelievably expensive." This year he claimed that lighting and security costs would be $1000 to $1500 an hour.

Late in April, Linda Nash, the chairwoman of Friends of the Civic, appealed once more to Mayor Chris Fletcher to open the Civic for tours.

A month later a letter from the mayor's staff snailed its way across Aotea Square to Mr Innes's office saying Mrs Fletcher "would like to see what options are feasible to allow people to experience this wonderfully restored theatre other than by attending shows."

I haven't seen Mr Innes' reply but apparently he put up just one option, and that was leaving the foyer area open five days a week from 9am to 5pm.

Mr Innes, whose mind is firmly on his profit and loss accounts, said this would cost the council more than $100,000. The mayor's office has requested he produce some less expensive options. And so the dithering and buck-shoving goes on.

Why, you have to ask, don't the mayor and council do the obvious and adopt the low-cost proposal of the Friends? This group is proposing a regular Saturday or Sunday morning tour, which its members are willing to guide for free. If demand was there, further days could be programmed. It seems so obvious.

* Talking of prize-winners and things obvious, did you catch the words of ingrate artist Jacqueline Fraser. Auckland-based Ms Fraser is in Venice, thanks to a $500,000 handout from the taxpayer for her and fellow-artist Peter Robinson to appear at the Venice Biennale, an event dubbed by some as the painting Olympics.

Ms Fraser had no problems accepting the honour bestowed on her, but once safely ensconced beside the canals, she's been quick to spit in her benefactors' face. New Zealand critics had drained her confidence as an artist, she whined. "I won't exhibit in New Zealand again."

With such antipathy towards her fellow citizens, it will be interesting to see if Ms Fraser expects us to pay for her flight home.