Melbourne or Sydney, does it really matter?

The announcement that Rock of Ages will premiere in Melbourne ahead of Sydney has again stirred up debate over which city is the theatre capital of Australia. I hardly think it really matters as long as the big shows continue to come down under, but given the huge amount of traffic via email and phone over the last week, this is obviously real issue that people, particularly in Sydney, are concerned about.

The announcement that Rock of Ages will premiere in Melbourne ahead of Sydney has again stirred up debate over which city is the theatre capital of Australia. I hardly think it really matters as long as the big shows continue to come down under, but given the huge amount of traffic via email and phone over the last week, this is obviously real issue that people, particularly in Sydney, are concerned about.

I don’t think we even need to determine the merits of which city leads the way when it comes to being the commercial theatre capital. It’s Melbourne. Thank you ball boys, thank you linesmen – no further contest required.

That said, Sydney is making progress in its own way, but until the State Government matches the kind of support being thrown at shows in Melbourne, it is unlikely we will see any major shift.

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally yesterday announced a major transport plan for Sydney, which covers something like 25 years worth of vision. Whilst transport is obviously one of the major issues for any government, it is a shame that such a long-term vision does not exist for the city as a whole, encompassing entertainment and more specifically, the building of new theatres.

We’ve watched many theatres disappear from Sydney in the last few decades, and now the time has come to reverse the trend. The city needs a nice, fresh, neat theatre that can house the kind of musicals Melbourne is winning over Sydney.

But it doesn’t stop there.

The work from the events department in Victoria is first class, and the assistance it provides to commercial producers is simply unquestionable. They really make musicals feel like a must-see event, as opposed to ‘just another show’ and Sydney lacks that somewhat.

At the moment, Sydney is enjoying Wicked at the Capitol Theatre and when I happened to drive past there just before Saturday’s matinee it was great to see a big buzz in the foyer and excitement about the show. However, just a few metres down the road that buzz disappears.

There is simply no artistic hub in Sydney, whereas Melbourne constantly feels alive and artistic.

Little things count too. Leaving a major show in Sydney and trying to get a quick bite to eat or even a late night coffee can sometimes be impossible. Melbourne on the other hand seems to come alive when shows end, much like that magical period on Broadway when shows come down almost simultaneously and people crowd into the streets, giving the night a new peak.

Later this year the Sydney Fringe Festival will be presented, which should give Sydney a great artistic push, but such initiatives need to be backed up.

We all need to put our feet in the shoes of producers and question where we would premiere shows. Personally, I would always pick Melbourne – it is less risky and would most likely set up a scenario where shows could have longer lives on tour.

Sydney is quickly becoming a city that is simply part of a tour, with Melbourne the main ‘sit down and stay’ city.

The amount of promotion into Sydney for ‘stay and see’ packages in Victoria for shows that will eventually come to the Habour city anyway is somewhat amazing. It is another knife in the back of a theatre culture in Sydney that is struggling to survive.

Whether Melbourne being the theatre capital or not is actually a big issue is questionable. After all, somewhere needs to be the leader. Still, more competition from Sydney would perhaps open up the market for more shows, and ultimately more success.

As long as I can see the show down under, however, I’m as happy as can be.