STC back on top

Whether or not the Sydney Theatre Awards are a relevant or important part of the industry remains a largely unanswered question, but in the very least they give us an indication of where things stand in the theatre world, perhaps best exemplified by the roller-coaster ride that is the Sydney Theatre Company (STC).

Whether or not the Sydney Theatre Awards are a relevant or important part of the industry remains a largely unanswered question, but in the very least they give us an indication of where things stand in the theatre world, perhaps best exemplified by the roller-coaster ride that is the Sydney Theatre Company (STC).

At last Monday’s Sydney Theatre Awards, the Sydney Theatre Company took home no less than nine awards, with its productions of The War Of The Roses and A Streetcar Named Desire leading the way.

Go back a few years and the Sydney Theatre Company was struggling for any serious recognition at this event, with Company B very much taking over as Sydney’s leading theatre company, leaving the STC in artistic wilderness.

At the same time, much was being said about the STC’s artistic direction, with questions over whether Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton were the right duo to take over from Robyn Nevin and take the company into the future.

A few years on, and Blanchett and Upton have proved their worth as artistic directors. They have taken the STC back to the number one spot, and with Neil Armfield moving on from Company B, the time is now ripe for the STC to reclaim the title as the premier theatre organisation in the country.

The 2010 season created by Blanchett and Upton is superb, highlighted by new age productions such as Spring Awakening, star-studded line-ups for works such as Uncle Vanya and a collection of classics including Our Town. In these three plays, the STC shows its wide and varied scheduling and answers the critics of recent years.

But there will certainly be changes at the STC. Whilst Blanchett and Upton have now settled in as Artistic Directors, Rob Brookman has moved on from the role of General Manager. Blanchett and Upton may be the face of the company, but Brookman has been an important glue for the company for so long and the day-to-day operations will certainly be altered a little.

Patrick McIntyre is the man to replace Brookman. McIntyre started his arts management career at the company, and his return after a successful time with the Australian Ballet is well deserved and justified.

Theatre faces a very intriguing few years, with ageing audiences and the very real fight to attract younger fans to the theatre. The STC needs to be the flagship company that leads the challenge against those factors and a glance at the 2010 schedule, combined with the artistic vision and current leadership, would suggest that it will be.

As for the Sydney Theatre Awards, where this column began, one wonders what future it holds. Whilst it does provide something of a gauge as to where the theatre world stands, they cannot be held in regard as a serious theatre concept.

Perhaps the strangest decision of all last week was the move to completely snub the hit musical Wicked in favour of a revival of Chicago, which took home the three major musical awards. Fine as the production of Chicago may be, one must question how the panel of reviewers possibly rated it above Wicked.

Still, the Sydney Theatre Awards can be as relevant as those behind it want them to be. It is fair to say that it is not up to us to dictate how the concept should and shouldn’t be run, and those behind the awards deserve to run them in whatever way they see fit.