Malthouse Theatre 2010 Annual Report

Core Values Contents

Core Values & Mission Chairman’s Report Executive Report Seasons 2010 Touring 2010 Education

Malthouse Theatre is committed to a theatre which is: • Contemporary Australian • Adventurous • High risk, high quality and high impact • Collaborative and cross artform • Responsive to our times

To achieve this, we acknowledge that:

Mission

Theatre is by definition dangerous, often revealing what is yet to be acknowledged and penetrating the farthest reaches of the imagination;

Additional Activities Artistic Development Board, Staff & Partners Key Performance Indicators Financial Report

Malthouse Theatre aims to engage in Australia’s cultural and imaginative life.

Malthouse Theatre produces and presents Australian contemporary theatre, a broadly defined program of work conceived and created in collaboration with writers, directors, designers, choreographers, audio artists and performers – a contemporary theatre where the combined possibilities of all the theatre arts are offered centre stage.

Theatre is a collaborative act apprehended through all of the senses; Theatre is contradictory in its power to simultaneously amuse and provoke, clarify and disorient;

Theatre is a collective experience in real time; Theatre is inherently and profoundly sexual; Theatre is of itself political, binding us into all history; Theatre does not seek permission to squarely face the contemporary.

Alive to the changing dynamics of a theatre in contest with contemporary life and the contemporary imagination, we undertake this challenge as an offering to the past, a witnessing of the present and as a manifestation of our hopes and fears for the future.

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 1

Chairman’s report 2010 was a year of farewells.

It marked the end of the tenure of outgoing Artistic Director Michael Kantor, Executive Producer Stephen Armstrong and Associate Producer and Business Manager, Catherine Jones. The extent to which these three renewed the fortunes and reputation of the company – as well as reshaped the landscape of contemporary Australian theatre – cannot be underestimated.

They gave birth to, christened and raised a theatrical prodigy of great character and significant achievement and I pay tribute to their extraordinary contribution on behalf of all Malthouse staff, stakeholders and audiences.

“Kantor leaves the Malthouse an empowered and optimistic company.

He has provided a glimpse of a possible future of Australian theatre” The Australian

It’s fitting, then, that the year passed off so well, despite its melodramatic beginnings with the fiercest deluge in living Melbourne memory – inside our rusty tin shed, as well as outside it. Across 16 productions, 255 performances, 8 commissions and over 55,000 attendances through national and international seasons in London, Darwin, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney, box office income was up by 5%, paid attendance was over 65% and reserves were built for the fourth year running via a small but hard-earned surplus. We were also particularly proud of augmenting our reach into educational and regional communities via the inaugural Happiness Project,

Of course, such achievements are not won alone. Malthouse Theatre would wither on the vine were it not for the expertise and generosity of passionate board members, loyal government stakeholders, our much-loved family of volunteers, and its many private, commercial and philanthropic donors, sponsors and supporters; my heartfelt gratitude to you, one and all. Malthouse takes very seriously its obligations to find new sources of income, wherever they might be available, and I’m delighted to record a 54% increase in Muse donors and a new corporate partner during 2010.

They joined major partner, Victoria University, and sponsors Sofitel Melbourne, Investec Specialist Bank, Allens Arthur Robinson, Medina Apartment Hotels, John Mullen & Partners and Sweet Design. We also particularly thank our much-valued government partners, Arts Victoria, the Major Performing Arts Board of the Australia Council and the City of Melbourne; and a myriad of private philanthropic friends thanked more specifically in the body of this report.

However, I would like to recognize here those foundations associated with the Kantor family, whose extraordinary generosity we are as ever humbled and touched by.

In closing, I want to honour the work of our incredibly committed staff, our hugely talented family of artists and our fabulously creative national and international body of collaborators.

I know that all of them are already hugely inspired in their work with new Artistic Director Marion Potts and Executive Producer Jo Porter.

To steal Marion’s words at her 2010 Rex Cramphorn Lecture – the high point of last year’s Things on Sunday program: ‘This is a beginning. Like all beginnings it’s borne of the past and reaches towards the future’.

I commend to you the fruits of this past in 2010 and look forward to the future with excitement and vitality.

Simon Westcott

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 3

EXECUtive report 2010 saw the final year of programming and company leadership by the ‘original’ Malthouse Theatre executive team of Michael Kantor, Stephen Armstrong and Catherine Jones. It was, fittingly, a year of artistic vitality and success locally and abroad, exciting initiatives and new and reinvigorated partnerships.

First and foremost, we pay tribute to the creative teams, performing artists, support crews and technicians for an incredible year of daring, imagination and skill.

Over 2010, Malthouse Theatre presented two hundred and forty five performances in sixteen productions on our Melbourne mainstage. Eight were original commissions and a further two were ‘re-commissions’ of new work developments. The balance included Australian premieres of new productions by national and international artists and re-presentations from the Malthouse repertoire and Australia’s most exciting independent theatre makers.

Formally, the 2010 mainstage program embraced a theatre of striking diversity and outstanding craft, typically reaching out to contemporary artists from a broad culture of performance making including opera and music theatre, the best of the next generation of Australian dramatists, nouvelle cabaret artistes, and some of the most confronting and original interpreters of contemporary culture, its ancient life-blood and its living mythologies.

Performance activity in 2010 also included six national seasons and the UK premiere of our international co-commission, 1927’s The Animals and Children Took to the Streets.

Outside Victoria, Malthouse Theatre productions and co-productions played to a further fifty five thousand patrons in Darwin and London, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, and across five seasons in Sydney.

Paid attendances in Melbourne grew by 5% with 65% of all available seats sold across the year. Proceeds from net ticket sales increased by 10%.

Average ticket prices for the year dropped 1%, reflecting withheld price increases owing to the global financial crisis and the sharp uptake in student and youth ticket sales which accounted for 22% of all paid attendances to the mainstage program. A ticket pricing review will see some adjustments introduced from 2011.

Subscriber tickets represented 31% of all ticket sales. Subscribers individually purchased, on average across both seasons, 6.6 productions.

Online sales increased by 5% and website visitation by 33%. The company currently manages over 10,000 active online records.

We are pleased to report consecutive years of growth in our Education Program participation, and the significant success of our commissioned initiative The Happiness Project, a pilot program produced in 2010 which has been scheduled for a return season in the 2011 Education Program. With ongoing support from philanthropic trusts and donors, Regional Access and Artist Development activities were widespread, targeted and effective (not least in creating opportunities for disadvantaged or under-represented participants).

The 2010 Melbourne seasons included three international productions: 1927’s stunningly original premiere The Animals and Children Took to the Streets (co-commissioned by Malthouse Theatre and the Battersea Arts Centre), Ursula Martinez’s wonderfully taut yet flamboyant My Stories, Your Emails, and Meg Stewart’s intensely moving Maybe Forever. All were made possible with the generous participation of international cultural agencies, being the British Council and The Goethe Institut. The impact of these residencies was extended through public forums, master-classes and workshops for local artists.

High activity levels in 2010 were well supported by the company’s talented and committed staff. Our production and presentation partners continue to add inestimable value to our work – building creative and investment capacity into our repertoire. Our partnerships with local companies and groups continued to flourish and this hallmark of Malthouse Theatre’s approach to cultural leadership continues to set a national benchmark for cross-sector collaborations – investing in artistic practice and broadening audience exposure for the most dynamic work by independent artists.

Our national producing and presenting partners in 2010 are, literally, legion, and are identified alongside the various productions atomised in this report. The Executive would like to acknowledge their inestimable thanks for the confidence which so many of our colleagues and friends have placed in us. From national festivals to local project groups, we cannot aspire to imagine, let alone achieve what we do without you.

The company’s workshop and wardrobe departments continued to produce astonishing numbers of sets and costumes with incredible flair, uncompromising quality and with uncomplaining cost-efficiency! The company’s building management, technical teams and backstage support, under Production Manager, David Miller, and Venue Manager, Frank Stoffels, deserve every thanks and applause. Melbourne’s devastating hail storm early in 2010 caused extensive damage to the theatres, administration and production infrastructure. The front of house and production crews working on the day of the storm not only managed the safety of over five hundred patrons in a ‘live building’ with courage and professionalism, they acted fast to contain the flood damage in a steadily worsening situation. Much was learned from the experience and the company’s emergency strategies and procedures have benefited from the severity of the test.

Adjustments to core staffing were minor. Overall wage increases matched CPI except where position adjustments or Award increases superseded this.

The Malthouse Bar enjoyed robust patronage and the Malthouse Kitchen, managed by Entourage, provided outstanding service for staff and patrons.

In recent years, better than budgeted for results have helped grow the company’s reserves.

These, however, remain modest as a proportion of turnover and the balance between investing in dynamic, labour intensive programs and fast outmoded infrastructure presents a significant challenge.

In 2010, Playbox Theatre Company (trading as Malthouse Theatre) posted a surplus of $75,575. This compares to end of year results of: $0.04m in 2009, $0.5m in 2008, and $0.25m in 2007.

In 2010, controlled costs and break-even or better than budgeted income across a range of cost centres (ticket sales, production fees, bar sales, production workshop contracts, and hospitality) offset additional investments in marketing, executive recruitment and incidental initiatives.

Front desk ticketing operations have not enjoyed significant cost savings in line with an annual increase in online sales. Nonetheless, Malthouse’s much valued in-house ticketing service, MTix, remains an important income stream and marketing tool.

Management restructure and a renewed focus in fundraising and development delivered significant results in both maintaining and sourcing new support for artistic programs, including two highly successful new corporate sponsorships.

Infrastructure investment in 2010 focused on: • Master Plan Review • Theatre Equipment • Backstage Improvements • IT Services • Ticketing Software • Signage The Australia Council and Arts Victoria continued to support Malthouse Theatre above our base-line funding with special initiative and project funding for which we are exceedingly grateful. These initiatives included succession planning and professional development for workshop personnel, national collaborations, and development of new works with independent companies. Our third government partner, the City of Melbourne provides welcome annual program support.

The company’s many corporate and institutional supporters are identified throughout this report and in the introduction by Chairman, Simon Westcott.

On behalf of the artists and patrons of Malthouse Theatre, the Executive would particularly like to draw attention to the following private institutions and individuals for their grace, their vision and their investment in the imaginative life of the theatre: the Slome-Topol Family Charitable Trust for their annual support of our Education activities; Annamila Pty Ltd for their loving advocacy and ongoing support for the Artists in Residence program; the Poola Foundation and Dara Foundation (Tom Kantor Fund) who have extended their commitment to the Indigenous Theatre Program for an additional three years from 2011; the Besen Family Foundation, Sidney Myer Fund, Ian Potter Foundation and Helen Macpherson Smith Trust have been instrumental in our artist development activities, regional outreach, education and Tower Theatre programs since 2007.

The Dara Foundation’s annual support for the artistic program beats at the very heart of the Malthouse enterprise.

The Malthouse Muse program continues to win more supporters and the enthusiasm of our individual donors is a genuine source of encouragement as well as capacity.

The Executive of Malthouse Theatre is grateful, as ever, to our wonderfully talented and fantastic staff - and our big brained and big hearted Board.

To our volunteers and supporters, we salute you!!

Thank you for guaranteeing that 2010 would be such a rewarding close to the out-going Executive’s greatly enjoyed tenure. And no less a strong, febrile and exciting creative platform for the future innovations of Marion Potts and Jo Porter and their team in the years ahead.

Michael Kantor

Stephen Armstrong

Catherine Jones

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 5

ARTISTIC PROGRAM From an institutional perspective, Kantor and Stephen Armstrong have left a shining legacy to Melbourne’s cultural life, transforming a moribund company with an exclusively Australian focus into a vibrant, outward-looking and progressive theatre hub.

Cameron Woodhead, The Age In 2010, Malthouse Theatre’s mainstage program continued to invest in high impact, high risk productions across a range of theatre forms, often in collaboration.

Over 245 performances on our home stages, paid attendances for the mainstage program increased to 65% of overall capacity: a total of 41,904 tickets sold, a 5% increase on 2009.

Of sixteen productions, the 2010 program included nine Malthouse Theatre commissioned world premieres. Of the remaining seven: one was a new production of an international classic with a text adapted by an Australian writer; four were remounts of local, independent productions; and two were international buy-ins.

Commissions and artform development remained a priority with at least six new commissions entered for future repertoire programming.

Participation in the company’s Education program grew by more than 11% and a new work commissioned exclusively for secondary students was produced and presented.

Malthouse Theatre productions were also presented in Sydney (five seasons), Adelaide (one season), Perth (one, a second is scheduled for early 2011), and Darwin (one season).

SEASON ONE The world premiere of Furious Mattress, Melissa Reeves’ tragi-comic tale of a rural community motivating itself through righteous delusion into an act of unspeakable cruelty was in equal parts disarming and terrifying.

This four-hander play was stunningly realised in the Beckett Theatre with a design by Anna Cordingley and Paul Jackson and an outstanding central performance from Kate Kendall.

Alongside Furious Mattress, in the Merlyn Theatre, Chunky Moves’ brilliant Mortal Engine again proved its class and broad audience appeal with a sold out return season.

We followed with our Indigenous Theatre Program commission, Ngurrumilmarrmiriyu (Wrong Skin) a coproduction with Adelaide Festival, Sydney Opera House, Performing Lines and Darwin Festival. After its very short technical rehearsal for the Adelaide Festival premiere, this complex new work was afforded a full week of technical rehearsals and previews before opening to strong houses in the Merlyn Theatre - the benefits of this strategy were all too apparent in realising a high standard work of cultural collaboration and artistic daring. Collaborating with Nigel Jamieson and the Chooky Dancers and Elcho Island community was a memorable and rewarding experience for the entire company.

For the Melbourne Comedy Festival we invited nouvelle burlesque artist, Ursula Martinez to perform her outrageous and poignant My Stories Your Emails, a bare-all self-portrait (in conversation with unsolicited correspondents). Direct from its opening season at London’s Barbican, Martinez performed her hilarious, genre-busting work to capacity houses in an extended season.

Louise Fox and Luke Devenish’s adaptation of Dario Fo’s Italian language political burlesque, Elizabeth: Almost By Chance A Woman was originally commissioned

by Malthouse in 2006. When the perfect cast finally became available - a flawless ensemble cast led by Julie Forsyth – we let loose our resident artistic team to create a spectacular production which realised the theatrical anarchy and satire of Fo’s original without sacrificing the emotionally charged portrait of an ageing and loveless absolute monarch. This was intelligent, moving, and disorienting chicanery of a high order.

In the Tower Theatre, the world premiere of Declan Greene’s Moth, an Arena Theatre co-commission, featured an unforgettable performance by Dylan Young as the teenage anti-hero, Sebastian.

Director, Chris Kohn’s meticulous production of this highly unorthodox play of isolation and fantasy, played to capacity houses before transferring to the Sydney Opera House. Moth will have a return Malthouse season in 2011. Another highly successful collaboration with a key organisation.

Malthouse Theatre’s coproduction with Victorian Opera, The Threepenny Opera directed by Michael Kantor with Music Direction by Richard Gill, achieved popular ‘event’ status virtually selling-out all 23 performances prior to opening.

A major undertaking with 19 artists on stage and the largest support crew yet contracted for a single presentation, the partnership with Victorian Opera was extremely fruitful, both artistically and as an example of artform and major organisation collaboration. We were thrilled with the production and it has since been bought by the Sydney Theatre Company who will present it in their 2011 Subscription Season for four weeks at the 900 seat Sydney Theatre.

Season One delivered a program of high calibre, overwhelmingly new-work productions across a generous spectrum of theatre genres.

Contemporary dance, cabaret, opera/music-theatre, local drama, reinterpreted international classics, and Indigenous story-telling and performance - all attracting a broad audience base in a program unique to Australian mainstage theatre.

Season Two Full marks to the Malthouse team for their tremendous program of restaging independent works, giving them new life and new audiences. Martin Ball, The Age With principal support from the Goethe Institute, Maybe Forever by radical American choreographer, Meg Stuart, played for four performances in a season much anticipated by the contemporary dance and performance cognoscenti but, it must be admitted, a largely underwhelmed general public.

In collaboration with Perth Festival and Lucy Guerin Inc, Malthouse Theatre commissioned Lucy Guerin to create Human Interest Story, a sublime but rigorous imaginative expression through dance, text, media and sculpted space exploring our emotional and social response to the omnipotence of media and 24 hour news coverage. Collaborating with some of the country’s best dancers and creative artists, including a design by Gideon Obarzanek and Paul Jackson – and a stunning original score by Jethro Woodward - Human Interest Story has since been programmed by Belvoir and is expected to have an extensive touring life.

Sappho… in 9 Fragments, written and performed by Jane Montgomery Griffiths, was originally presented at Stork Theatre, a small independent space in Melbourne.

Re-commissioned with a full script development, design and production support, Sappho… in 9 Fragments was presented in the Beckett Theatre in partnership with Monash University’s ARC project, Investigating New Methodologies in Performance Reception. Anna Cordingley’s exquisite design and Jane Griffith’s witty text and scrupulous performance, staged by Marion Potts, was extremely well received. Neither didactic nor afraid of its intellectual investigation, the performance was as theatrically entertaining as it was beguiling.

Louise Fox’s adroit adaptation of Kafka’s novel, The Trial was a coproduction with ThinIce and STC. Matthew Lutton’s assured direction of his ensemble cast - led by Ewen Leslie - drew mixed critical responses but enjoyed good attendances most notably in Sydney. With seventy-three performances nationally, this was a major under-taking for Malthouse Theatre and an excellent example of creative and capital capacity building through collaboration between two MPAB companies and the small independent company, ThinIce. Malthouse’s Company in Residence program proved wildly successful for the third year in a row with The Hayloft Project’s scarifying interpretation of Seneca’s Thyestes. Critically lauded for its outstanding performances, sound and visual design, the production played to capacity houses and enjoyed an extended season, winning the Melbourne Fringe prize for Best Production. National seasons are in discussion for 2012.

After an extensive development and rehearsal period, our Melbourne Festival co-commission with Ranters Theatre company enjoyed a sell-out season and excellent, if occasionally qualified, critical acclaim.

A follow up to our successful 2008 programming of Ranter’s Holiday, the company have continued to develop their highly unique style: a gentle and unpretentious theatre of hyper-real conversation placed in a highly theatrical frame – the result was tender and often profound.

The remarkable UK performance group, 1927 returned to Malthouse with The Animals and Children Took to the Streets, a follow up to their 2008 sell-out Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea. This new work was a commission between Malthouse Theatre and Battersea Arts Centre, and utilises their trademark vintage style of live music, storytelling and remarkable animation and projection.

The deceptively naïve story is actually a wonderfully subversive and twisted morality fable. Playing to strong houses of delighted audiences, the company also offered a Workshop Intensive on the subject of artistic and technical integration of animation in live performance. Janice Muller’s A Woman in Berlin is a finely charged solo performance by Meredith Penman who delivers a riveting performance. This remount of an indie Sydney production was fully supported through re-rehearsal, redesign and a fully underwritten season. The production played to 100% capacity and enjoyed excellent reviews.

A return season of Malthouse Theatre’s production of Barrie Koksy’s The Tell Tale Heart fittingly closed the year and Michael Kantor’s tenure as Artistic Director. First presented in Melbourne in 2007 before touring to the Edinburgh Festival and Sydney Festival, the performance of Austrian actor and singer, Martin Niedermair stunned audiences. Niedermair was accompanied by Michael Kieren Harvey (replacing Barrie Kosky) under rehearsal director Michael Kantor: “Quite simply one of the best works of theatre I have ever seen.”

(Alison Croggon, Theatrenotes).

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 7

2010 Season One

2010 Season One

FUrious Mattress

MORTAL ENGINE

FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 13

March 3 – March 13

A Malthouse Theatre Production

By Melissa Reeves Director Tim Maddock Set and Costume Design Anna Cordingley Lighting Design Paul Jackson Composer and Sound Design Jethro Woodward Dramaturge Maryanne Lynch Cast Rita Kalnejais, Kate Kendall, Robert Menzies, Thomas Wright.

Besen Family Artist Programme Katie Sfetkidis (Lighting Design) Shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Award Melissa Reeves

“ a deeply disconcerting play... This is a superbly written work - spare, intelligent, unpretentious and bold - that shows Reeves to be one of our most accomplished playwrights...” The Australian

A Malthouse Theatre and Chunky Move Production

Director and Choreographer Gideon Obarzanek Interactive System Designer Frieder Weiss Lazer and Sound Artist Robin Fox Composer Ben Frost Costume Design Paula Levis Lighting Design Damian Cooper Set Design Richard Dinnen and Gideon Obarzanek.

Cast Kristy Ayre, Sara Black, Amber Haines, Lee Serle, James Shannan and Jorijn Vriesendorp.

“Technology rules in Chunky Move’s Mortal Engine and the outcome is visually amazing...

Here Robin Fox’s laser and video images are the real stars of the show, and when they organically work with an ensemble of dancers, it’s mesmerising.” Herald Sun

Ngurrumilmarrmiriyu (Wrong Skin)

My Stories, Your Emails

March 18 – March 28

March 23 – April 3

A Malthouse Theatre Production

Writer Designer and Director Nigel Jamieson Associate Director/Movement Gavin Robins Associate Director/Community and Cultural Liaison Josh Bond Associate Designer Mathew McCall Visual Designer Scott Anderson Video Producer Mic Gruchy Lighting Designer Trudy Dalgleish Composer and Sound Designers Basil Hogios and David Page Cinematographers Gavin Robins, Scott Anderson, Nigel Jamieson Produced by Performing Lines.

Cast The Chooky Dancers

A Malthouse Theatre Production

Created and Performed by Ursula Martinez.

Directed by Mark Whitelaw

“as brutally honest as it is jaw-dropping funny, forcing an almost-too-close-for-comfort look at our real, imagined and cyber relationships.

If you trust what you read on this little patch of the internet, book your ticket now.”

AussieTheatre.com

“Without question, Wrong Skin is a vibrant celebration of the ingenuity and energy of youth. The playful, outward-looking tone and the ebullient dynamism of its performers make for a lively cultural spectacle.” The Age

Venue

Beckett Theatre

Venue

Merlyn Theatre

Venue

Merlyn Theatre

Venue

Beckett Theatre

Total No of Performances

20

Total No of Performances

11

Total No of Performances

11

Total No of Performances

16

Total Paid Attendances

1,883

Total Paid Attendances

3,487

Total Paid Attendances

3,124

Total Paid Attendances

2,077

All Attendances

2,472

All Attendances

4,167

All Attendances

3,999

All Attendances

2,536

Net Box Office

$52,055

Net Box Office

$87,434

Net Box Office

$95,285

Net Box Office

$54,976

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 9

2010 Season One

2010 Season One

Elizabeth: Almost By Chance A Woman

2010 Season two

Moth

The Threepenny Opera Maybe Forever

May 13 – May 30

May 28 – June 19

JUNE 23 – June 26

A Malthouse Theatre and Arena Theatre Production

A Malthouse Theatre and Victorian Opera Production

By Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill Text Raimondo Cortese Lyrics Jeremy Sams Director Michael Kantor Conductor Richard Gill Set Designer Peter Corrigan Costume Designer Anna Cordingly Lighting Designer Paul Jackson Cast Casey Bennetto, Paul Capsis, Judi Connelli, Jolyon James, Melissa Langton, Amy Lehpamer, Anna O’Byrne, Eddie Perfect, Dimity Shepherd, Grant Smith and John Xintavelonis Besen Family Artist Programme Cameron Menzies (Direction) Chloe Greaves (Wardrobe)

A Malthouse Theatre and Goethe-Institut Production

April 3 – April 24

A Malthouse Theatre Production

Writer Dario Fo Translators and freely adapted by Luke Devenish and Louise Fox Director Michael Kantor Set and Costume Design Anna Cordingly Lighting Design Paul Jackson Composer Mark Jones Sound Design Russell Goldsmith Dramaturge Maryanne Lynch Choreographer Tony Bartuccio Cast Billie Brown, Julie Forsyth, Mark Jones, Chris Ryan, Nikki Shiels and David Woods

“Kantor’s production is visually stunning: surely one of the most visually luscious works you’ll see on stage this year, it achieves a classic simplicity that is unexpectedly faithful to the spirit of Fo.” The Australian

Writer Declan Green Director Chris Kohn Set and Costume Design Jonathon Oxlade Lighting Design Rachel Burke Composer Jethro Woodward Dramaturge Maryanne Lynch Cast Sarah Ogden and Dylan Young Green Room Awards: Lighting Design Rachel Burke Sound/Composition Jethro Woodward Best New Original Writing for the Melbourne Stage Declan Greene Malcom Robertson Prize for Writing Declan Greene

“...a superbly performed and keenly directed reminder of the brutalities we ignore, with enough wit and compassion to lift it above the standard precautionary tale.”

Sunday Herald Sun

“The Malthouse, to its eternal credit, often tries to be brave with its theatre, avoiding traditional narrative or reinterpreting classical texts. This time it has succeeded.”

Choreographed and Performed by Meg Stuart and Philipp Gehmacher Live music by Niko Hafkenscheid Dramaturge Myriam Van Imschoot Lighting Design Jan Maertens Set and Costume Design Janina Audick Sound Design Vincent Malstaf Assistant Choreographer Sigal Zouk Production Manager Tanya Thomsen Set and Costume Assistant Inga Timm

“Nobody would mistake Maybe Forever for an uplifting piece of art, and perhaps its greatest value is a cathartic one. Apart from some beautifully crafted moments of profound sadness, its slow development, excessive length and use of repetition makes this work an ultimately frustrating one.” The Age

Sunday Herald Sun

Venue

Merlyn Theatre

Venue

Tower Theatre

Venue

Merlyn Theatre

Venue

Merlyn Theatre

Total No of Performances

20

Total No of Performances

22

Total No of Performances

22

Total No of Performances

4

Total Paid Attendances

5,120

Total Paid Attendances

1,362

Total Paid Attendances

9,211

Total Paid Attendances

476

All Attendances

6,149

All Attendances

1,727

All Attendances

10,339

All Attendances

809

Net Box Office

$151,812

Net Box Office

$25,070

Net Box Office

$271,704

Net Box Office

$13,244

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 11

2010 Season TWO

2010 Season TWO

Human Interest Story

Sappho… in 9 fragments

July 23 – August

July 30 – August 21

1

A Malthouse Theatre and Lucy Guerin Production

A Malthouse Theatre Production

Choreographed by Lucy Guerin Set Design Gideon Obarzanek Realising Designer Anna Cordingley Costume Design Paula Levis Lighting Design Paul Jackson Composer and Sound Designer Jethro Woodward Performed by Stephanie Lake, Alisdair Macindoe, Talitha Maslin, Harriet Ritchie and Stuart Shugg with newscast by Anton Enus

Written and Performed by Jane Montgomery Griffiths Staging by Marion Potts Set and Costume Design Anna Cordingly Lighting Design Paul Jackson Dramaturge Maryanne Lynch Composer and Sound Design Darrin Verhagen

“...this is overall a topical, evocative and entertaining work, cleverly conceived, clearly expressed and performed with precision and conviction.” The Australian

Shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Jane Montgomery Griffiths

“Marion Potts re-staging at the Malthouse replaces this literal image with the sensuous metaphor of a bath of golden ambrosia, slowly draining onto the stage. Full marks to the Malthouse team for their tremendous program of restaging independent works like this, giving them new life and new audiences.” The Age

The Trial

Thyestes

August 13 – September 4

September 16 – October 3 plus extension to October 9

A Malthouse Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company and ThinIce Production

Adapted by Louise Fox from the novel by Franz Kafka Director Matthew Lutton Set Design Claude Marcos Costume Design Alice Babidge Assistant Costume Design Mel Page Lighting Design Paul Jackson Composer Ash Gibson Greig Sound Design Kelly Ryall Cast John Gaden, Peter Houghton, Rita Kalnejais, Ewan Leslie, Belinda McClory, Hamish Michael and Igor Sas Besen Family Artist Program Sarah John (Direction)

“Fox’s lucid adaptation is almost sternly faithful to Kafka’s story but avoids deadly reverence.

Lutton’s direction is swift, almost cynical, in how it moves the story from its banal opening into the logical absurdity of a nightmare, with the help of Claude Marco’s minimalist revolving set and Kelly Ryall’s brilliant sound deign.”

A Malthouse Theatre and Hayloft Production

Co-written and Directed by Simon Stone after Seneca Co-written and Performed by Thomas Henning, Chris Ryan and Mark Winter Set and Costume Design Claude Marcos Lighting Design Govin Ruben Sound Design Stefan Gregory Besen Family Artist Program Anne-Louise Sarks (Dramaturgy) Green Room Awards: Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Adaptation for the Melbourne Stage

“Thyestes is rock ‘n’ roll theatre: confronting, transgressive, uncomfortably hilarious, obscene, horrifying and beautiful.” The Australian

The Australian Venue

Merlyn Theatre

Venue

Beckett Theatre

Venue

Merlyn Theatre

Venue

Towert Theatre

Total No of Performances

9

Total No of Performances

19

Total No of Performances

22

Total No of Performances

Total Paid Attendances

1,440

Total Paid Attendances

2,219

Total Paid Attendances

4,403

24 (16 plus 8 in season extension)

All Attendances

2,058

All Attendances

2,655

All Attendances

5,461

Total Paid Attendances

1,772

Net Box Office

$40,891

Net Box Office

$67,404

Net Box Office

$129,855

All Attendances

1,993

Net Box Office

$37,150 2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 13

2010 Season TWO

2010 Season TWO

Intimacy

The Animals and Children Took to the Streets

October 1 – October 23

A Woman In Berlin November 16 – November 28

The Tell Tale Heart November 19 – December 2

November 9 – November 28

A Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne International Arts Festival and Ranters Production Devised and Directed by Adriano Cortese Text by Raimondo Cortese Set and Costume Design Anna Tregloan Lighting Design Niklas Pajanti Sound Design David Franzke Video Design Keri Light Company Manager Alison Halit Co-devised and Performed by Beth Buchanan, Paul Lum and Patrick Moffatt

“What Intimacy does so well is to make naturalism seem easy. Adriano Cortese’s restrained and sharp direction is right on the money. All of the elements; staging, lighting, sound; are unobtrusive and perfectly pitched, This is one of the cleverest and most enjoyable shows you’ll see in a while.” ABC 774 Online

Malthouse Theatre, The British Council and 1927

A Malthouse Theatre Production

A Malthouse Theatre Production

Writer, Director and Performer Suzanne Andrade Film Animation and Design Paul Barritt Costume Design and Performer Esme Appleton Composer and Performer Lillian Henley

Adapted and Directed by Janice Muller and Meredith Penman from the anonymous diary A Woman In Berlin: Eight Weeks In The Conquered City Set and Costume Design Gabrielle Logan Lighting Design Matt Cox Composer and Sound Design Russell Goldsmith Performed by Meredith Penman

Adapted and Directed by Barrie Kosky after Edgar Allan Poe Performed by Martin Niedermair and Michael Kieran Harvey Original music Barrie Kosky Design Adaptation Anna Tregloan (Set and Costume) and Paul Jackson (Lighting) Return Season Director Michael Kantor Songs by Bach, Purcell and Wolf

“For all its gestures towards the fantastic and its sharp comic wit, The Animals & Children delivers a bleak picture of contemporary life. In tandem with the headlines about the biggest government cuts in Britain since the 1920s, increasing economic divisions between the rich and the poor and a worldwide drift to the right, its brutalised world begins to seem more literal truth than fantasy.” Theatre Notes

“Meredith Penman plays this role with great sincerity and sensitivity. The key is creating a character that commands not just our pity, but our respect. In each scene Penman offers us a different nuance, carefully balanced to give the show structure and rhythm. A powerful story, powerfully told.” The Age

“A macabre sense of humour runs through this show’s dark heart. Sensory overload is this show’s aim and an indulgence in its own sticky grimness is its game... Kosky’s treatment packs a sharp punch in just 50 minutes and leaves you reeling - then begging for more.”

ABC Arts Online

Venue

Beckett Theatre

Venue

Beckett Theatre

Venue

Tower Theatre

Venue

Merlyn Theatre

Total No of Performances

20

Total No of Performances

20

Total No of Performances

15

Total No of Performances

12

Total Paid Attendances

2,686

Total Paid Attendances

2,663

Total Paid Attendances

1,055

Total Paid Attendances

1,614

All Attendances

3,155

All Attendances

3,183

All Attendances

1,191

All Attendances

2,357

Net Box Office

$80,434

Net Box Office

$76,929

Net Box Office

$20,295

Net Box Office

$47,177

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 15

2010 ON TOUR

2010 ON TOUR

Ngurrumilmarrmiriyu (Wrong Skin)

MOTH

the trial

A Malthouse Theatre, Adelaide Festival, Sydney Opera House and Darwin Festival Commission

A Malthouse Theatre and Arena Company Co-production

A Malthouse Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company and ThinIce Production

A joint commission with Battersea Arts Centre and Sydney Opera House

Sydney Wharf 1 at Sydney Theatre 9 – 16 October

Sydney Opera House The Studio, Sydney Opera House 20 October – 6 November

Perth Subiaco Arts Centre 22 – 30 October

London Battersea Arts Centre 13 December – 18 January

Adelaide Festival Her Majesty’s Theatre 11 – 14 March Sydney Opera House The Playhouse, Sydney Opera House 2 – 12 September

Sydney Opera House The Studio, Sydney Opera House 19 – 23 July

The Animals and Children Took to the Streets

Darwin Festival The Playhouse, Darwin Entertainment Centre 27 – 28 August

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 17

Education Program and Youth Access Program I would just like to thank you for hosting one of the most enjoyable theatre experiences I have ever had at school. I applied for work experience at the Malthouse a while back but this has worked just as well! Just a big thanks to you and the cast, and all the lighting and backstage crew, you’ve definitely spurred me on to continue my interests in theatre! Student, Wesley College In 2010, Malthouse Theatre Education welcomed over 6,000 students and teachers to the program to attend productions, participate in seminars and workshops, and undertake artistic and professional development.

The range of opportunities included workshops developed to assist teaching and learning in VCE Drama and Theatre Studies. These workshops are designed to support VCE course requirements and to provide students with practical and experiential learning with professional artists. Separate workshops were also held for Teachers. Areas of investigation included: • • • •

Ensemble Theatre Making Solo Performance Performing Monologue Solo, Monologue and Generative Writing workshops for teachers.

For students in Year 10, we collaborated with ACCA and Chunky Move to provide an all day ‘arts immersion’ which takes students through the possibilities of expressing idea and concept through the visual arts, movement, dance and theatre.

This initiative is offered to government schools only and transport assistance is provided for regional schools. A professional development opportunity is also offered to teachers.

Throughout the year, student groups also spend an entire day observing rehearsals and attending workshops conducted by Malthouse personnel in the areas of design, technical support and scenic construction.

The Happiness Project In 2010, over 500 participants from 33 schools across the state were involved in the pilot of The Happiness Project, an extended classroom and in-theatre initiative developed by Malthouse Theatre. Student groups selected an episode from a specially commissioned, multi-episode script exploring social response in an age of anxiety, rehearsed and developed their interpretation of it at school, and then performed it in Malthouse’s Tower Theatre. Their audience were other school groups and professional practitioners who then participated in ‘response’ sessions. The students’ day at Malthouse concluded with a fully produced, professional performance of the entire script. This was followed by a group discussion about the creative decisions and responses made by the artists at every level of performance and theatre making, from physical interpretation and vocal choices, to lighting and sound.

The Happiness Project offered the students an intensely rich and unique learning experience, which I am sure will be secure in their memories for years to come. Not only were they engaged in stimulus material that challenged their thinking, they recognised that they had a voice and they were able to make a difference in their everyday lives towards a more secure future for the planet.

Their experience with preparation was paramount to their further studies in Drama or Theatre Studies.

Or, in fact, anyone embarking on VCE studies; as they need to develop discipline in a collaborative task. The students developed more effective study skills as well as expressive skills relevant to performance based study. Their exploration of non-naturalistic theatre also gave them the means to create an ensemble that was suited to the task.

Teacher, Sandringham College This innovative initiative was designed to develop flexible thinking in young people to encourage preventative action in dealing with the most worrying issue of their generation, namely climate change. By examining such a complex issue through the multi-faceted mechanisms of theatre making - over the sustained timeframe of two terms - students developed flexible responses and attitudes along with interpretive and expressive skills, encouraging them to ‘take control’ over otherwise overwhelming concepts. Through this specialist program, the medium of theatre engenders responsibility alongside awareness for Year 9, 10 and 11 students as they begin to make impactful decisions as young adults and global citizens.

During the in-school period of Happiness, individuals and groups were able to connect with their peers at other schools through a specially developed internet ‘NING site’ where they shared comments and reflections with one another and the Malthouse team. Through working as a group, connecting with other groups through NING, performing to other school groups, and responding to other performances, the students’ level of engagement in the project was profound.

The Happiness performance day was a triumph and you need to be thanked for your vision. My kids loved the venue, design and opportunity to watch other students performing the same script with alternative concepts.

The positive support and feedback from the Malthouse team and other students really made the day special.

My students particularly enjoyed the ‘professional’ performance in the afternoon and finally felt the script came to life and made sense, most pointedly, from an environmental level. We would love to participate again.

Two Malthouse Theatre mainstage productions were selected by the VCAA (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority) for study

by VCE Theatre Studies students, Elizabeth: Almost by Chance A Woman and The Threepenny Opera. Targeted performances were accompanied by Schools Forums with the principal artists, and teachers were provided with detailed Education Resource Notes prepared by the Education Manager.

In 2010, Malthouse Theatre Education presented Performing Arts Awards to the top drama students in 29 secondary schools across Victoria.

These awards consisted of free double subscriptions to the 2011 Malthouse Season. Commenced in 2007, these awards have become a prized incentive for students and an important addition to Malthouse Theatre’s Youth Access program.

For an analysis of the Youth Access Program, please refer to the Audience Development and Access section.

Teacher, Caulfield Grammar

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 19

Additional Activities Things on Sunday Things on Sunday is a public program of presentations and conversations inspired by the artists, genres and thematic ideas behind current seasons. These events are free for subscribers and $10 for door sales.

On Passion Cate Blanchett reads poet Dorothy Porter’s posthumously published essay On Passion.

In partnership with University of Melbourne Press Host

Michael Kantor Guests

Cate Blanchett

ARTISTIC Development Wild Things Melbourne City Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle reveals what works of the imagination strike his flint.

Host

Sian Prior Guests

Robert Doyle, Lord Mayor

Host

Attendances

Maryanne Lynch and Tony MacGregor

83

PROJECT ARTISTS

Like Mother, Like Daughter?

A fantastic rapture about what went on between mothers and daughters through the ages. In association with Malthouse Theatre and Monash University’s Conference: Investigating New Methodologies in Performance Reception.

Attendances

Host

497

Maryanne Lynch Guests

A Short History of the Merkin A visual lecture journeying us through the infinitely bizarre and occasionally most sensible accoutrements of the Elizabethan wardrobe.

Dr Margaret Reynolds, University of London

Guests

Robyn Healy, Fashion Program Director, RMIT Attendances

141

Tom Morton and Tony MacGregor Performers

Tom Morton, Richard Piper and Heiner Muller (dec.)

Attendances

147 Ear Play A rehearsed reading of Duncan Graham’s, A Love Play with sonic accompaniment In partnership with ABC Radio National Host

Attendances

Maryanne Lynch

165

PROJECT ARTISTS

David Pickvance, Sarah John and Duncan Graham

Host

Maryanne Lynch

A Drink With Heiner Mueller An interview with the dead; a performance and a record of conversation between Heiner Mueller, journalist Tom Morton and readings from The Hamlet Machine. In partnership with ABC Radio National and Goethe Institut’s Berlin Dayz

Rex Cramphorn Memorial Lecture Incoming Artistic Director, Marion Potts surveys the theatrical landscape with an eye to the future.

Performers

Host

Ian Bliss, Matt Furlani, Brigid Gallacher, Anita Hegh, Tony Llewellyn Jones, and Deirdre Rubenstein

Michael Kantor

Attendances

Guests

154

Marion Potts Attendances

231

Time to Talk Time to Talk engages the cast and creative team of select productions in post-performance discussions with the audience. Often as enlightening for the audience’s responses as they are for revelations about the artistic process and experience, these performances are among the most popular in each Season. Time to Talk is a free event. Time to Talk sessions were held for Furious Mattress, My Stories Your Emails, Elizabeth, Moth, The Threepenny Opera, Human Interest Story, Sappho… in 9 Fragments, The Trial and Intimacy.

“The Malthouse, to its eternal credit, often tries to be brave with its theatre, avoiding traditional narrative or merely reinterpreting classical texts.”

Sunday Herald Sun, Kate Rose As a company dedicated to the creation and presentation of new work, resourcing and scheduling our commissions and new work program is a priority. During 2010, workshops were held in Melbourne (unless otherwise indicated) for the following script/concept developments and pending productions. In-house readings were also conducted to assess programming readiness and/or potential of works-in-progress and extant texts.

Identified are the authors/project leaders. Workshops can be between two days and two weeks in length and commonly involve the principal creative team and performers for some or all of the period.

Malthouse Executive and Artistic Team are in attendance at appropriate times.

Inhouse workshops were held for the following projects: The Story of Mary MacLane… as told by herself Director Tanya Goldberg Designer Anna Cordingley Dramaturg Campion Decent Cast Bojana Novakovic, Tim Rogers Musicians Xani Kolak, Dan Witton

A Golem Story Second Workshop Writer Lally Katz Director Michael Kantor Designer Anna Cordingley Dramaturg Maryanne Lynch Music/Cast Mark Jones Cast Jacek Koman, Dan Spielman, Greg Stone, Yael Stone Wrong Skin Devisor/Director Nigel Jamieson Asst Dir Josh Bond Choreographer Gavan Robbins Cast The Chooky dancers Sappho… in 9 fragments Writer / Cast Jane Montgomery Griffiths Director Marion Potts Designer Anna Cordingley LX Designer Paul Jackson Dramaturg Maryanne Lynch Tis Pity She’s a Whore – First Workshop Director Marion Potts Composer Andree Greenwell Singer Siobhan Stagg Tis Pity She’s a Whore – Second Workshop Director Marion Potts Designer Anna Cordingley LX Designer Paul Jackson Composer Andree Greenwell Sound Designer Jethro Woodward Dramaturg Maryanne Lynch Cast John Adam, Julia County, Laura Lattuada, Elizabeth Nabben, Richard Piper, Chris Ryan, Benedict Samuel, Alison Whyte, Anthony Brandon Wong

The Henning saga Writer Thomas Henning Dramaturg Mark Winter Music/Cast Mark Jones Cast Elisa Gray, Meredith Penman, Richard Piper, Alison Whyte, Dylan Young A Golem Story First Workshop Writer Lally Katz Director Michael Kantor Designer Anna Cordingley Dramaturg Maryanne Lynch Music/Cast Mark Jones Cast Nicholas Bell, Elisa Gray, Gabriel Partington, Yael Stone, Mark Winter 2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 21

Besen Family Artist Program The Besen Family Artist Program is a twelve-month program of professional development for theatre-makers initiated by Malthouse Theatre as (1) a bridge between educational life and professional practice for emerging theatre-makers and, (2) for mid career and mature artists skills development in their area of expertise.

Initiated by Malthouse Theatre in 2005, the Besen Family have since resourced this remarkably successful program annually. The program provides bursaries for performers, creative artists, technicians, writers, dramaturgs and associated theatre workers to pursue “attachments” inside the company’s activities. It provides high level professional development for the recipient and, as significantly, a point of contact with the company, its culture and operations (regularly leading to future engagements).

The Program sequesters a number of opportunities annually for regional practitioners, including a special Festivals Access initiative. This initiative enables regional artists to immerse themselves over an extended time in a given festival by the provision of accommodation, per diems, travel expenses and ticket packages. In 2010 the Festival initiative was aimed at young people in relation to the Next Wave Festival, in conjunction with our regional artist program State of Play.

International State of play Masterclass As in 2009, the Company also supported the George Fairfax Memorial Regional Schools Theatre Festival in Swan Hill. This year our support was extended to funding a one-day excursion to Melbourne of a regional school group from the Sunraysia area, with a focus on theatre design. The activity will take place in 2011 and comprise attendance at a Malthouse production and a workshop with the designer of this production.

2010 Metropolitan recipients • Katie Sfetkidis Lighting Design Furious Mattress • Tom Doig Acting Elizabeth • Chloe Greaves Wardrobe The Threepenny Opera • Cameron S. Menzies Direction The Threepenny Opera • Liza Dennis Acting Intimacy • Halcyon Macleod Writing Happiness • Anne-Louise Sarks Dramaturgy Thyestes Regional recipients • Sarah John Direction The Trial • Eloisa Tripodi Direction Happiness • Kim Chalmers Sound design The Love Play • George Fairfax Memorial Regional Schools Theatre Festival Next Wave Festival Packages (Regional) • Caitlyn Barclay from Swan Hill • Emily Noonan from Birchip • Jacinta Jones from Swan Hill • Janette Vallence from Swan Hill • Josh Taylor from Sale • Phoebe Anderson from Sale • Lauren Reid from Sale • Eloisa Tripodi from Traralgon

Malthouse’s integration of the cream of the indie scene through residencies, workshops, and coproductions has yielded some electric performances: The Hayloft Project’s scarifying Thyestes, directed with surgical precision by Simon Stone; Jane Montgomery Griffiths’ Sappho… in 9 Fragments, which started life at the Stork Theatre; Declan Greene’s gossamer exploration of teen depression, Moth; and Meredith Penman’s superbly studied performance as a rape survivor, A Woman In Berlin.

Cameron Woodhead, The Age

A notable feature of the Malthouse under Kantor and Armstrong has been its fostering of younger talent, giving proper support and productions in the main season, rather than fobbing them off with workshops and readings.

Alison Croggon, Theatre Notes

Malthouse Theatre partners with the Melbourne International Arts Festival to coordinate and host workshops and masterclasses with guest artists from the festival. This remains an ongoing project but for logistical reasons did not take place in 2010.

State of Play is a Malthouse initiated program aimed at linking professional theatre artists, organizations and communities across Victoria. It receives support from the Helen MacPherson Smith Trust and the Besen Family Foundation and at times is integrated into Regional Arts Victoria programs.

Stage 3 built on the previous stages by way of skills development, mentorship and other assistance deemed appropriate for the group.

Three organisations (two in Gippsland and one in Sunraysia) were provided with skills-based workshops incorporating generative strategies towards the creation of work.

The program has the goals of building a dialogue between regional and metropolitan theatre makers, developing a context for creative exchange and creating opportunities for artistic collaboration. Its core aim is to support, develop and extend the practice of regional theatre artists.

These included: • Groundwork Youth Theatre, a youth theatre group based in Sale, Gippsland, facilitated by Deirdre Marshall, ran a two-day physical theatre workshop with Suzuki and Viewpoints practitioner Hannah Fox.

In 2010 the program successfully focused on youth theatre in the Gippsland and Sunraysia regions and divided into three stages: • A weekend of professional exchange and development for adult theatre artists from Gippsland and Sunraysia in Melbourne. (7-9 May) • Next Wave Festival packages for 3 young people (+ one adult) from each of these regions (28-30 May) • A project-based activity in each region. (September onwards)

• Traralgon local theatre group Break a Leg presented a two-day workshop for young people with Melbourne ensemble Born in a Taxi, a group specializing in ensemble improvisation and dance-theatre practice, in a partnership between La Trobe City Council and Malthouse Theatre.

• Swan Hill Youth Theatre Ensemble, in Swan Hill, contracted writer-director and youth arts facilitator Petra Kalive to conduct a series of devising workshops, in a partnership between Swan Hill Rural City Council and Malthouse Theatre.

… it was interesting to note Malthouse had commissioned the work from small independent theatre company the Hayloft Project, which in turn was working with actorwriters from another small Melbourne outfit, the Black Lung Theatre. Collaboration and cross-fertilisation appear to be very much the go in theatre circles at present and it feels as if the drive is towards what will be stimulating and creative, not about building and preserving competing empires.

Deborah Jones, The Weekend Australian

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 23

Board & Staff 2010 Board of Directors Simon Westcott (Chair) Frankie Airey John Daley Michele Levine Ian McRae Neil Smart Thea Snow Sigrid Thornton Leonard Vary Artistic Director Michael Kantor Executive Producer Stephen Armstrong Associate Producer & Business Manager Catherine Jones Company Managers Nina Bonacci & Julian Hobba Dramaturge in Residence Maryanne Lynch Assistant to Dramaturge Kate Sulan (to 30th June) Petra Kalive (from 1st July) Artist in Residence - Design Anna Cordingley Artist in Residence - Lighting Design Paul Jackson Education Program Manager Fiona James Finance Manager Mario Agostinoni Finance Assistant Liz White Philanthropy Manager Tamara Harrison Marketing & Communications Manager Brad Martin Marketing & Communications Coordinator Brett Steel (to 3rd Feb) Nicole Smith (from 1st Feb) Communications Coordinator Jaclyn Birtchnell Media Manager Annette Vieusseux Media Assistant Dani Venn Ticketing Manager Sonja Fea Assistant Ticketing Manager Emma Howard Executive Assistant Angela Flood Building Manager Frank Stoffels Bar Manager Carl Thompson (1st Feb to 3rd April), Cherry Rivers (from 10th June)

Malthouse Muse Donors 2010 Front of House Managers Tristan Watson & Sean Ladhams Production Manager David Miller Technical Manager Baird McKenna Operations Manager Dexter Varley Production Coordinator Lucy Birkinshaw Head Electricians Tom Brayshaw & Stewart Birkinshaw Campbell Head Mechanist Andy Moore Workshop Supervisor David Craig Head of Wardrobe Amanda Carr Wardrobe Assistant Chloe Greaves Steel Fabricator Goffredo Mameli Workshop Staff Dan Talbot Angela Dufty, Darryl Cordell Nicholas Dunand Scenic Artist Patrick Jones Props Master Ross Murray (lifetime recognition) Front of House/Bar Staff Matt Adair, Milo Adler-Gillies Mira Adler-Gillies, Rebecca Bower Jacqui Brown, Pablo Calero Rowan Michael Davie Nadine Dimitrievitch, Alice Dixon Graham Downey, Tanja George Kate Golding, Chloe Greaves Kate Gregory, Simon Jeanes Paula Lay, Gabrielle Lowe Bridie McCarthy, Daniel Newell Cynthia Nolan, Ruby Nolan Sarah Ogden, Felix Preval Sara Retallick, Claire Richardson Caleb Shea, Mimosa Schmidt Kathryn Stuckey, Jade Thomson Lee Threadgold, Pete Walker Andy Wall, Janine Watson Box Office Staff Liz Bastian, Mark Byrne, Mark Doggett, Cindy Elliott, Rachel Gelzinnis, Kate Gregory, Michelle Hines, Annalise Hooper, Michael Lindner, Fiona Wiseman, Liz White.

Technical Staff Jennifer Abbott, Nicola Andrews Kevin Batchelor, Michael Baxter Tristan Bourke, Scott Bowie Nathanial Bristow, Simon Burfield Christopher Cody, Benjamin Coe, Angela Cole, Darren Cooper Rebecca Daley, Marc Dunand Brian Easteal, Adam Froling Russell Goldsmith, John Grant Blair Hart, Luke Hawley, Jy Hildred Julian Hill, Ryan Hodge Travis Hodgson, Linda Hum Natasha James, Mitchell Jones Lewis Kelly, Grant Kennelly Christopher Leary, Benjamin Leeks Shane Lee, Anthony Ludwig Marcus Macris, Daniel Madrigali John Maher, Edward Marshall Thomas McDonald, Paul McKercher Donal McNinch, Malcolm Mitchard Melissa Page, Ryan Paine, Erin Palmer Matthew Perry, Phillip Pietrushka Helen Ridley, Michael Sammonds David Scully, Shep Shepard Perry Smith, Clinton Sorenson Alistair Stobo, Robert Stout Gabriel Townsend, Sarah Trevorrow James Tulczyn, Rodolphe Villevieille Alasdair Watson, Jeremy West Laura Whalley, Cail Young

URANIA (Muse of the Stars) Anonymous (1) CLIO (Muse of History) Berry Liberman & Daniel Almagor THALIA (Muse of Comedy) John & Lorraine Bates Daniel & Danielle Besen Eva Besen AO & Marc Besen AO Debbie Dadon Roger Donazzan & Margaret Jackson Colin Golvan SC John & Janet Calvert-Jones Neilma Gantner Richard Leonard Philanthropy Squared Trawalla Foundation MELPOMENE (Muse of Tragedy) Beth Brown & Tom Bruce AM Terry Cutler D.L & G.S Gjergja Peter & Anne Laver Tim & Lynne Sherwood Neil & Barbara Smart EUTERPE (Muse of Music) Ingrid Ashford Carolyn Floyd Scott Herron Ian Hocking & Rosemary Forbes Michael Kingston Naomi Milgrom AO Dame Elisabeth Murdoch A.C. D.B.E. Rae Rothfield Elisabeth & John Schiller Marshall Segan The Bardas Foundation The Pratt Foundation Leonard Vary & Matt Collins Simon Westcott Phil & Heather Wilson Anonymous (2)

TERPSICHORE (Muse of Dance) Graham & Anita Anderson Sally Browne Diana Burleigh Min Li Chong Sieglind D’Arcy Rev Fr Michael Elligate Taleen Gaidzkar Brian Goddard Brad Hooper Susan Humphries Graeme & Joan Johnson Ann Kemeny & Graham Johnson K & J Lindsay Pamela McLure James Penlidis & Fiona McGauchie Robert Peters Rosemary Ricker Robert Templar Gina Stuart Jenny Schwarz Fiona Sweet Robert Sessions & Christina Fitzgerald Dr. Victor & Dr. Karen Wayne Angelika & Peter Zangmeister ERATO (Muse of Love) John Carruthers Diane Clark Chris Clough Patricia Coutts Callum Dale Doreen Dempster Peggy Hayton Shirley Hickey Leonie Hollingworth Irene Irvine Irene Kearsey Ruth Krawat Anna Lozynski Gael & Ian McRae Dr. Kersti Nogeste John & Margot Rogers Karen Russell John Thomas Ann Tonks Rosemary Walls Bruce Wapshott & Daryl Moon Jan Watson Joanne Whyte Dr. Roger Woock & Fiona Clyne Barbara Yuncken Anonymous (13)

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 25

OUR PartnerS PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

2008-2010 KEY Performance Indicators CORPORATE PARTNERS

TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS The Malcolm Robertson Foundation Slome-Topol Family Charitable Trust

Key Performance Indictators

Status Investment of not less than $100,000 per annum in commissions, workshops and the development of new works

ü

Programming at least 50% world premieres on the Company’s main stage over the triennium

ü

Securing at least 3 major collaborations per annum

ü

Commission at least four works annually

ü

Increase the Artist in Residence program by a minimum of two additional artists by the end of the triennium MAJOR PARTNER

CORPORATE ASSOCIATES

COMPANY IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM

EDUCATION & YOUTH ACCESS PROGRAM

Ngurrumilmarrmiriyu Major Festivals Initiative, Victorian Opera Threepenny Opera co-production, Human Interest Story coproduction with Perth International Arts Festival

Ongoing

Audience Development Key Performance Indicators

Secure a minimum of 6,000 school visits to the mainstage program annually

X

Attract a minimum of 2,000 individual patrons with a subscription package, per annum

ü

Increase second and third time attendances by 5% per annum

ü ü ü

Increase number of new patrons by 5% per annum PRODUCTION PARTNERS

Comment

Artistic Vibrancy Key Performance Indicators

Increase the online share of la carte ticket sales by 5% per annum

4,270 Education Group Attendances achieved

Financial Viability / Governance / Management Key Performance Indicators

ARTISTS PROGRAM

INDIGENOUS THEATRE PROGRAM The Dara Foundation

Budget a surplus of between $50K- $85K per annum for each year of the triennium

ü

Majority of box office targets met or exceeded annually

ü

New naming rights sponsor for the Malthouse in place by the end of the triennium

Surplus of $79,575 posted

Ongoing

Net increase of donors by 10% annually

X

At least one new philanthropic or trust relationship created annually

ü

Achieve a carbon positive result of at least 20% per annum as determined by an independent annual audit

Ongoing

Complete all-of-company contracts review by the end of the triennium

Ongoing

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM ANNAMILA PTY LTD

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 27

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2010

DIRECTORS’ REPORT The directors present this report on the Company for the financial year ended 31st December, 2010.

The names of the directors in office at any time during, or since the end of the year are:

Contents Directors’ Report Auditor Independence Declaration Statement of Comprehensive Income Statement of Changes in Equity Statement of Financial Position Statement of Cash Flow Notes to the Financial Statements Directors’ Declaration Independent Auditor’s Report

Simon Westcott (Chairman) Frankie Airey Sigrid Thornton Ian McRae Thea Snow Neil Smart Michele Levine John Daley Leonard Vary Directors have been in office since the start of the financial year to the date of this report unless otherwise stated.

Company Secretary The following person held the position of Company Secretary at the end of the financial year: Ms Catherine Jones. Ms Jones was appointed on 4 April 2010.

Principal Activities The principal activities of the Company during the financial year were the production and presentation of live theatre.

To further improve the Company’s presence within the national arts environment the following objectives have been determined and strategies are intended to be implemented in the future:

Short Term Objectives • Promote and sustain development of new works • Program at least 50% world premieres on the Company’s main stage per year

Information on Directors Simon Westcott Managing Director Mr & Mrs Smith Asia Pacific.

Responsibilities: Chairperson, Venue committee, Development committee

• Secure at least 3 major collaborations per year

Frankie Airey

• Strengthen our revenue base to a level suitable to support the risk taking programming

Director Philanthropy Squared Responsibilities: Development committee

Short Term Strategies

AUDITOR’S INDEPENDENCE DECLARATION

Meetings of Directors During the financial year, six meetings were held. Attendances by each director were as follows: Number Number eligible Attended to attend Simon Westcott

6

6

Frankie Airey

6

6

Sigrid Thornton

6

5

Sigrid Thornton

Ian McRae

6

4

• Connect with the Victorian and national artistic communities to attract new works and artists

Actor Responsibilities: Development committee

Neil Smart

6

6

Thea Snow

6

5

• Commission a range of works and provide development opportunities

Michele Levine

6

5

Ian McRae

John Daley

6

6

Arts Consultant Responsibilities: Venue committee

Leonard Vary

6

5

• Engage with third parties interested in becoming financial partners in the Company’s productions • Expand fundraising activities to support the increased risk taking of the Company’s programming

Neil Smart Consultant Responsibilities: Finance & Audit committee

Long Term Objective • Strengthen the artistic model through the creation of a group of resident artists • Create a solid audience base to provide box office stability • Create a endowment fund designed to generate income to support the Company’s operations Long Term Strategies • Engage private donors to support the resident artists’ program for 3 years or longer • Improve our audience management model to secure increased subscription numbers and repeated single tickets sale • Engage all the Company resources to raise enough capital for the endowment fund that when invested will generate a significant income • No significant changes in the nature of the Company’s activities occurred during the financial year.

Thea Snow Social Policy Branch, Department of Premier & Cabinet Responsibilities: Development committee Michele Levine CEO, Roy Morgan Research Responsibilities: Development committee Leonard Vary Executive Director, General Counsel & Company Secretary, Linfox Responsibilities: Finance & Audit committee John Daley

The company is incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 and is a Company limited by guarantee.

If the company is wound up, the Memorandum and Articles of Association states that each member is required to contribute a maximum of $10 each towards meeting any outstanding obligations of the Company. As at 31st December, 2010, the total amount that members of the Company are liable to contribute if the Company is wound up is $140 (2009: $140).

Auditor’s Independence Declaration The lead auditor’s independence declaration for the year ended 31st December, 2010 has been received and can be found on page 5 of the financial report.

Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Board of Directors:

Auditor’s Independence Declaration under section 307c of the corporations Act 2001 To the directors of Playbox Theatre Company Limited I declare that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, during the year ended 31 December 2010 they have been: (a) no contraventions of the auditor independence requirements as set out in the Corporations Act 2001 in relation to the audit; and (b) no contraventions of any applicable code of professional conduct in relation to the audit.

Name of firm WHK Horwath

Name of Partner Margaret D. Crossley Principal

Date 28 March 2011 Address

CEO, Grattan Institute Responsibilities: Finance & Audit committee S. Westcott Director

N. Smart Director 2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 29

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2010 Notes

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31st DECEMBER 2010 2010

2009

$

$

Notes

2010 $

2009 $

Current Assets

Revenues from continuing operations

2

6,604,274

6,396,600

Cash and cash equivalents

4

1,234,777

1,111,204

Production and touring expenses

3

(2,667,114)

(2,690,158)

Trade and other receivables

5

711,681

772,176

Marketing and publicity expenses

3

(556,990)

(537,422)

Inventories

6

23,400

30,602

Other current assets Total Current Assets

7

63,086 2,032,944

88,757 2,002,739

Property plant & equipment

8

406,250

321,608

Incentive Scheme Reserve Deposit

4

353,547

340,473

759,797 2,792,741

662,081 2,664,820

119,237

153,312

Other expenses from continuing operations

3

Profit before income tax Income tax expense

1(l)

(3,300,595)

(3,124,718)

79,575

44,302

-

Non-Current Assets

Profit for the Year

79,575

44,302

Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax

-

-

Total comprehensive income for the year

-

-

79,575

44,302

Total Non-Current Assets Total comprehensive income attributable to members of the company

Current Liabilities

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2010 Accumulated Surplus

Reserves

Total

Balance at 1 January 2010

407,392

556,432

963,824

Transfer to Incentive Scheme Reserve

(20,941)

20,941

-

88,500

(88,500)

-

Profit attributable to the company Balance at 31 December 2010

79,575 554,526

488,873

79,575 1,043,399

Balance at 1 January 2009

380,000

539,522

919,522

Transfer to Incentive Scheme Reserve

(16,910)

16,910

-

Profit attributable to the company Balance at 31 December 2009

44,302 407,392

556,432

44,302 963,824

Transfer to accumulated surplus

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

Total Assets

Trade and other payables

9

Short-term provisions

10

121,045

110,689

Borrowings

12

215,000

-

Other current liabilities Total Current Liabilities

11

1,267,430 1,722,712

1,201,756 1,465,757

Long Term Borrowing

12

-

215,000

Long-term Provisions Total Non-Current Liabilities

10

Non-Current Liabilities 26,630

20,239

26,630

235,239

Total Liabilities

1,749,342

1,700,996

Net Assets

1,043,399

963,824

Equity Retained earnings

13

554,526

407,392

Reserves Total Equity

14

488,873 1,043,399

556,432 963,824

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 31

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2010 Notes

2010

2009

$

$

Receipts from government grants

2,199,388

2,062,630

Receipts from patrons, sponsors

4,413,868

4,213,661

(6,429,621)

(6,386,695)

117,187

92,670 (17,734)

Cash flows from operating activities

Payments to creditors and employees Interest received Net cash provided by operating activities

18(b)

300,822

Cash flows from investing activities Payment for plant and equipment Net cash used in investing activities Net increase (decrease) in cash held Cash and cash equivalent held at the beginning of the year Cash and cash equivalent held at the end of the year The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

18(a)

(164,175) (164,175)

(29,377) (29,377)

136,647

(47,111)

1,451,677

1,498,788

1,588,324

1,451,677

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR

The financial statements are for Playbox Theatre Company Limited as an individual company, incorporated and domiciled in Australia. Playbox Theatre Company Limited is a Company limited by guarantee.

1.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Playbox Theatre Company Limited has elected to early adopt the pronouncements AASB 1053: Application of Tiers of Australian Accounting Standards and AASB 2010-2: Amendments to Australian accounting Standards arising from Reduced Disclosure Requirements to the annual reporting period beginning 1 January 2010.

The financial statements are general purpose financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards Reduced Disclosure Requirements of the Australian Accounting Standards Board and the Corporation Act 2001.

Australian Accounting Standards set out accounting policies that the AASB has concluded would result in financial statements containing relevant and reliable information about transactions, events and conditions. Material accounting policies adopted in the preparation of these financial statements are presented below and have been consistently applied unless otherwise stated.

ACCOUNTING POLICIES (a) Revenue Grant revenue is recognised in the results when the Company obtains control. When there are conditions attached relating to the use of those grants they are recognised on statement of financial position as a liability until such conditions are met or services provided.

Income from sponsorships and donations is identified with specific projects to which it relates. Where income received from the above sources relate to projects in future periods such income is written back as income received in advance and included in the statement of financial position as a liability.

Revenue from the rendering of a service is recognised upon the delivery of the service to the customer.

All revenue is stated net of the amount of goods and services tax (GST). (b) Inventories Inventories of bar and set construction supplies have been valued at the lower of cost or estimated net realisable value. (c) Plant and Equipment Each class of plant and equipment is carried at cost or fair value less, where applicable, any accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.

Plant and Equipment Plant and equipment are measured on the cost basis less depreciation and impairment losses.

The carrying amount of plant and equipment is reviewed annually by directors to ensure it is not in excess of the recoverable amount from these assets. The recoverable amount is assessed on the basis of the expected net cash flows that will be received from the assets employment and subsequent disposal. The expected net cash flows have been discounted to their present value in determining recoverable amounts.

The cost of fixed assets constructed within the company includes the cost of materials, direct labour, borrowing costs and an appropriate proportion of fixed and variable overheads.

Subsequent costs are included in the asset’s carrying amount or recognised as a separate asset, as appropriate, only when it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the company and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. All other repairs and maintenance are charged to the statement of comprehensive income during the financial period in which they are incurred.

The financial statements have been prepared on an accruals basis and are based on historical costs, modified, where applicable, by the measurement of fair value of selected non-current assets, financial assets and financial liabilities.

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 33

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Depreciation The depreciable amount of all fixed assets is depreciated on a straight line basis over their useful lives to the Company commencing from the time the asset is held ready for use.

Depreciation rates used for each of depreciable assets are: Furniture & equipment 10%-20% Theatre fixtures & fittings 5%-20% Workshop improvements 5%-10% The assets’ residual value and useful lives are reviewed, and adjusted if appropriate, at the end of each reporting period.

Asset classes’ carrying amount is written down immediately to its recoverable amount if the asset’s carrying amount is greater than its estimated recoverable amount.

Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing proceeds with the carrying amount. These gains or losses are included in the statement of comprehensive income. (d) Financial Instruments Initial recognition and measurement Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised when the Company becomes a party to the contractual provisions to the instrument. For financial assets, this is equivalent to the date that the Company commits itself to either purchase or sell the asset (ie trade date accounting is adopted). Financial instruments are initially measured at fair value plus transaction costs except where the instrument is classified “at fair value through profit or loss” in which case transaction cost are expensed to the statement of comprehensive income immediately.

Classification and subsequent measurement Financial instruments are subsequently measured at fair value, amortised cost using the effective interest rate method or cost. Fair value represents the amount for which an asset could be exchanged or a liability settled, between knowledgeable, willing parties. Where available, quoted prices in an active market are used to determine fair value. In other circumstances, valuation techniques are adopted.

Amortised cost is calculated as: (a) The amount at which the financial asset or financial liability is measured at initial recognition; (b) Less principal repayments; (c) Plus or minus the cumulative amortisation of the difference, if any, between the amount initially recognised and the maturity amount calculated using the effective interest method; and (d) Less any reduction for impairment.

The effective interest method is used to allocate interest income or interest expense over the relevant period and is equivalent to the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash payments or receipts (including fees, transaction costs and other premiums or discounts) through the expected life (or when this cannot be reliably predicted, the contractual term) of the financial instrument to the net carrying amount of the financial asset or financial liability. Revisions to expected future net cash flows will necessitate an adjustment to the carrying value with a consequential recognition of an income or expense in profit or loss.

Loans and Receivables Loans and receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market and are subsequently measured at amortised cost.

Held to maturity investments Held to maturity investments are non-derivative financial assets that have fixed maturities and fixed or determinable payments, and it is the company’s intention to hold these investments to maturity. They are subsequently measured at amortised cost.

Financial liabilities Non-derivative financial liabilities are subsequently recognised at amortised cost.

Impairment At the end of each reporting period, the Company assesses whether there is objective evidence that a financial instrument has been impaired.

Impairment losses are recognised in the statement of comprehensive income.

Fair Value Fair value is determined based on current bid price for all quoted investments. Valuation techniques are applied to determine the fair value of all unlisted securities, including recent arm’s length transactions, reference to similar instruments and option pricing models. (e) Impairment of Assets At the end of each reporting period, the Company reviews the carrying values of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have been impaired. If such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset, being the higher of the asset’s fair value less costs to sell and value in use, is compared to the asset’s carrying value. Any excess of the asset’s carrying value over its recoverable amount is expensed to the statement of comprehensive income.

Where an impairment loss on a revalued asset is identified, this is debited against the revaluation reserve in respect of the same class of asset to the extent that the impairment loss does not exceed the amount in the revaluation reserve for the same class of asset. (f) Employee Benefits Provision is made for the Company’s liability for employee benefits arising from services rendered by employees to the end of the reporting period.

Employee benefits that are expected to be settled within one year have been measured at the amounts expected to be paid when the liability is settled.

Employee benefits payable later than one year have been measured at the present value of the estimated future cash outflows to be made for those benefits. In determining the liability, consideration is given to employee wage increases and the probability that the employee may not satisfy vesting requirements. Those cash flows are discounted using market yields on national government bonds with terms to maturity that match the expected timing of cash flows.

Contributions are made by the Company to employee superannuation funds and are charged as expenses when incurred. (g) Provisions Provisions are recognised when the Company has a legal or constructive obligation, as a result of past events, for which it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will result and that outflow can be reliably measured. Provisions are measured using the best estimate of the amount required to settle the obligation at the end of the reporting period.

(h) Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, deposits held at call with banks and other short-term highly liquid investments. (i) Prepayments and Expenditure Incurred in Advance Expenses incurred are analysed to determine the plays and projects to which they relate. Where expenses relate to future period plays and projects, such expenses are written back as prepayments. (j) Borrowing Costs Borrowing costs are recognised as expenses in the period in which they are incurred. (k) Goods and Services Tax (GST) Revenues, expenses and assets are recognised net of the amount of GST, except where the amount of GST incurred is not recoverable from the Australian Tax Office.

In these circumstances the GST is recognised as part of the cost of acquisition of the asset or as part of an item of the expense.

Receivables and payables in the statement of financial position are shown inclusive of GST. Cash flows are presented in the statement of cash flows on a gross basis, except for the GST component of investing and financing activities, which are disclosed as operating cash flows. (l) Income Tax

No provision for income tax has been made as the Company is exempt under Division 50 of the Income Tax Assessment Act, 1997. (m) Critical Accounting Estimates and Judgements The directors evaluate estimates and judgements incorporated into the financial statements based on historical knowledge and best available current information.

Estimates assume a reasonable expectation of future events and are based on current trends and economic data, obtained both externally and within the Company.

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 35

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Key Estimates – Impairment The company assesses impairment at the end of each reporting date by evaluating conditions specific to the Company that may be indicative of impairment triggers. (n) Comparative Figures When required by Accounting Standards, comparative figures have been adjusted to conform to changes in presentation for the current financial year. (o) Trade and Other Payables Trade and other payables represent the liability outstanding at the end of the reporting period for goods and services received by the company during the reporting period which remain unpaid.

The balance is recognised as a current liability with the amounts normally paid within 30 days of recognition of the liability. (p) Economic Dependence Playbox Theatre Company is dependent upon Australia Council and Arts Victoria for the funding of its core activity.

At the date of this report the Board of Directors has no reason to believe that this support will not continue.

The financial report was authorised for issue on 28 March 2011 by the Board of Directors.

2. RevenuE 2010

2009

$

$

2,085,935

2,025,332

- General Purpose

1,011,660

988,915

- Interconnections

Included in the revenues from continuing operations are the following items Theatre and Performance Government Grants Australia Council

30,000

25,000

- New Work with Festival Department of Education & Early Childhood

86,900

20,000

15,198

14,900

City of Melbourne

30,840

30,000

1,011,660

988,915

13,130

-

78,000

201,000

1,027,611

1,022,303

Arts Victoria - General Purpose - Collaborative Direct Marketing Sponsorships and Donations - Sponsorship - Fundraising and donations Other Revenue - Interest earned

117,187

92,670

320,667

294,783

- Intercompany Operations

85,596

85,596

- Bar Taking

347,137

357,095

- Workshop External Commissions

155,214

85,920

187,539 6,604,274

139,171 6,396,600

2010

2009

$

$

- Production & Touring

2,667,114

2,690,158

- Marketing & Sponsorship Other Expenses

556,990

537,422

- Ticketing Services

- Other revenue from continuing operations Total Revenue

3. OTHER EXPENSES FROM CONTINUING ACTIVITIES

Profit from continuing operations has been determined after: Expenses

- Depreciation

79,533

77,950

- Audit fees

12,600

12,000

- Finance Costs – external - Wages & on Costs (3.1) - Other Total Other Expenses Total Expenses

15,339

15,217

2,156,420

2,116,313

1,036,703

903,238

3,300,595 6,524,699

3,124,718 6,352,298

(3.1) Wages and on costs for permanent staff have been allocated to other expenses rather than to individual departments.

Key Management Personnel Remuneration The total of remuneration paid to key management personnel of the Company during the period are as follows: Key management personnel compensation: 318,258 (2010), 308,000 (2009).

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 37

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 4. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

8. PROPERTY PLANT & EQUIPMENT 2010

2009

2010

2009

$

$

$

$

Cash on Hand

1,200

3,415

619,902

462,315

Cash at Bank

19,590

76,954

(374,952)

(321,523)

159,536

203,336

244,950

140,792

1,054,451

827,499

1,234,777

1,111,204

849,888

849,888

(843,790)

(833,249)

6,098

16,639

263,086

256,499

(107,884)

(92,322)

155,202

164,177

406,250

321,608

Current

Deposits at call Short Term Bank Deposits

Less accumulated depreciation

Theatre fixtures and fittings Less accumulated depreciation

Non-Current Incentive Scheme Reserve deposit

Furniture and equipment

353,547

340,473

353,547

340,473

1,588,324

1,451,677

Workshop Improvements Less accumulated depreciation

5. TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES 2010

2009

$

$

43,671

6,243

584,030

675,839

32,593

45,853

1,427

1,637

GST recoverable

49,960

42,604

Total Receivables

711,681

772,176

Raw Materials

8,000

8,810

Bar Stock

15,400

21,792

23,400

30,602

Total Property, Plant & Equipment

8 (a) MOVEMENTS IN CARRYING AMOUNTS Sundry debtors Playbox Malthouse Ltd. Unpaid income Deposits paid

Movement in the carrying amounts of property, plant and equipment between the beginning and the end of the current financial year.

2010

Furniture and Equipment

Theatre Fixtures and Fittings

Workshop Improvements

Total

Balance at the beginning of the year

140,792

16,639

164,177

321,608

Additions

157,587

-

6,588

164,175

(53,429) 244,950

(10,541) 6,098

(15,563) 155,202

(79,533) 406,250

Furniture and Equipment

Theatre Fixtures and Fittings

Workshop Improvements

Total

150,309

31,295

179,577

370,181

26,273

3,104

-

29,377

(44,790) 140,792

(17,760)

(15,400) 164,177

(77,950) 321,608

Depreciation Expenses Carrying amount at the end of the year

6. INVENTORIES At Cost:

Total Inventories

2009 Balance at the beginning of the year Additions Depreciation Expenses Carrying amount at the end of the year

16,639

7. OTHER CURRENT ASSETS Prepayments

63,086

88,757

9. TRADE & OTHER PAYABLES 2010

2009

$

$

119,237

153,312

Current Sundry creditors & accruals

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 39

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 10. PROVISIONS

14. RESERVES 2010

2009

2010

2009

$

$

$

$

127,459

127,459

-

88,500

361,414

340,473

488,873

556,432

Opening balance

127,459

127,459

Closing balance

127,459

127,459

Current

Capital Assets Reserve

Employment entitlement – Parental leave

16,054

6,002

Employee entitlements – Annual leave

77,477

80,947

Incentive Scheme Reserve

Employee entitlements – Long service leave

27,514

23,740

Total Reserves

121,045

110,689

Total Provisions (Current)

(a) Capital Asset Reserve

Non-Current Employee entitlements – Long service leave

26,630

20,239

The Capital Assets Reserve records the value of plant and equipment assets transferred to the Company at the conclusion of the Company’s relationship with Monash University.

11. OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES Income received in advance

1,267,430

1,201,756 (b) Incentive Scheme Reserve

12. BORROWINGS 2010

2009

$

$

215,000

-

-

215,000

Non-Current Bank Loan – secured

Bank loan and overdraft facilities with National Australia Bank Ltd are secured by Registered Mortgage Debenture over the whole of the company’s assets including goodwill and uncalled and called but unpaid capital together with relative insurance policy assigned to the National Australia Bank Limited but excluding funds held in the Incentive Scheme Reserve. The loan is due for repayment in September 2011.

2010

2009

$

$

340,473

323,563

20,941

16,910

361,414

340,473

Movements during the year: Opening balance Interest for the year

Current Bank Loan – secured

IT Reserve

Closing balance

Funds held in the Incentive Scheme Reserve are subject to the terms of the Incentive Scheme Reserves Funding Agreement dated 21 June, 2004 between the Australia Council, Arts Victoria and the Company. In particular, these funds are held in escrow for fifteen years and cannot be accessed without the express agreement of the funding bodies under prescribed circumstances.

Funds held in the Incentive Scheme Reserve are expressly excluded from the security charge held over the assets of the Company by the National Australia Bank Ltd. The Incentive Scheme Reserve records the amount set aside to fund the long term future operations of the Company.

13. RETAINED EARNINGS Retained earnings at the beginning of financial year

407,392

380,000

79,575

44,302

88,500

-

Transfer to Incentive Scheme Reserve

(20,941)

(16,910)

Retained earnings at the end of financial year

554,526

407,392

Net profit (loss) for the financial year Transfer to Information Technology Reserve

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 41

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DIRECTOR’S DECLARATION

15. MEMBERS’ GUARANTEE The Company is limited by guarantee. If the Company is wound up, the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company states that each member is required to contribute a maximum of $10 cash towards meeting any outstanding obligations of the Company. At 31 December 2010, the number of members was 14(2009: 14).

19. Financial Risk Management The Company’s financial instruments consist mainly of deposits with banks, accounts receivable and payable.

16. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES The Company has provided a guarantee in respect of bank facilities of Playbox Malthouse Limited.

Details of security provided to the National Australia Bank Limited are: Guarantee and Indemnity for $388,000 supported by Registered Mortgage Debenture over the whole of the assets of Playbox Theatre Company Limited including goodwill and uncalled capital and called but unpaid capital together with relative insurance policy assigned to the National Australia Bank Limited. The Company has undertaken to financially support Playbox Malthouse Limited through to the date of its 2012 Annual General meeting.

The totals for each category of financial instruments, measured in accordance with AASB 139 as detailed in the accounting policies to these financial statements, are as follow: Notes

2010

2009

$

$

Financial Assets

There are no capital expenditure commitments or contingent liabilities not otherwise disclosed or provided for in the accounts at 31st December 2010.

Cash and cash equivalent

4

1,588,324

1,451,677

Trade and other receivables Total Financial Assets

5

711,681 2,300,005

772,176 2,223,853

Trade and other payables

9

119,237

153,312

Borrowing Total Financial Liabilities

12

215,000

215,000 368,312

Financial Liabilities

17. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Playbox Theatre Company Limited and Playbox Malthouse Limited have identical Boards of Directors in recognition of their long standing relationship and common objectives and to ensure that as far as possible they act in each others best interest without compromising their independence.

Operationally many of the management and administration functions of the two companies overlap and are shared.

However importantly the records and accounts of the Companies are kept separately and systems have been developed to ensure that this occurs.

334,237

Net Fair Value Fair values of held at maturity investments are based on quoted market prices at the ending of the reporting period.

20. DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION Directors do not receive remuneration for services provided in their role as directors although they are eligible to be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses.

18. CASH FLOW INFORMATION 2010

2009

$

$

(a) Reconciliation of Cash For the purposes of the Cash Flow Statement, cash includes cash on hand and in banks and investments in money market instruments, net of outstanding bank overdraft. Cash at the end of the financial year as shown in the Cash Flows Statement is reconciled to the related items in the Balance Sheet as follows: Cash on hand Deposits with financial institutions Bank account Total Cash

1,200

3,415

1,567,534

1,371,308

19,590

76,954

1,588,324

1,451,677

21. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS There have been no significant events, which occurred after balance date.

22. COMPANY DETAILS The registered office of the company is: 113 Sturt Street Southbank Vic 3006 The Principal place of business is: Malthouse 113 Sturt Street Southbank Vic 3006

(b) Reconciliation of Net Cash used in Operating Activities to profit from Continuing Operations Net Profit (loss)

79,575

44,302

Depreciation

79,533

77,950

60,495

(88,507)

25,671

130,846

7,202

(4,111)

(34,075)

(241,502)

16,747

2,420

65,674

60,868

300,822

(17,734)

Change in net assets and liabilities (Increase) Decrease in receivables (Increase) Decrease in other current assets (Increase) Decrease in inventories (Decrease) Increase in payables Increase/(Decrease) in provisions (Decrease) Increase in other current liabilities Net Cash provided by (used in) Operating Activities

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 43

DIRECTor’s Declaration

INDEPENDENT AUDIT REPORT TO MEMBERS OF PLAYBOX THEATRE COMPANY LIMITED

The directors of the Company declare that: 1. The financial statements and notes as set out on pages 6 to 24 are in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001: (a) Comply with Accounting Standards and; (b) Give a true and fair view of the financial position as at 31 December, 2010, and of the performance for the year ended on that date of the Company.

2. In the directors’ opinion, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Company will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable.

This declaration is made in accordance with a resolution of the Board of Directors

.................................................................................................................................

S.WESTCOTT Director

Report on the Financial Report We have audited the accompanying financial report for Playbox Theatre Company Limited, which comprises the statement of financial position as at 31 December 2010, the statement of comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity and statement of cash flows for the year then ended, notes comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information, and the Director’s declaration.

Board’s Responsibility for the Financial Report The directors of the company are responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards – Reduced Disclosure Requirements (including the Australian Accounting Interpretations) and the Corporations Act 2001 and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of the financial report that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditor’s Responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial report based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. These standards require that we comply with relevant ethical requirements relating to audit engagements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial report is free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial report. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial report, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial report in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the directors, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial report.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

....................................................................................................................................

N.SMART Director

Independence In conducting our audit, we have complied with the independence requirements of the Corporations Act 2001.

We confirm that the independence declaration required by the Corporations Act 2001, provided to the director’s of Playbox Theatre Company Limited on March 2011, would be in the same terms if provided to the director’s as at the date of this auditor’s report.

Dated this day of 28 March 2011

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 45

INDEPENDENT AUDIT REPORT Audit Opinion In our opinion the financial report of Playbox Theatre Company Ltd is in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001, including: (a) Giving a true and fair view of the company’s financial position as at 31 December 2010, and of its performance for the year ended on that date; and (b) Complying with Australian Accounting Standards – Reduced Dsiclosure Requirements (including the Australian Accounting Interpretations) and the Corporations Regulations 2001.

.................................................................................................................................

WHK Horwath Melbourne

....................................................................................................................................

Margaret D Crossley Melbourne

Dated this day of 28 March 2011

2011 ANNUAL REPORT/ 47