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Monday, January 31, 2021
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Sport
ON WITH THE SHOW THEATRE technician Laura Spark, venue manager Tanya Camplin and acting technical team leader Ben Fletcher look forward to welcoming performers back on the stage in front of live audiences in 2022. PHOTO: Nick Richards
Let the shows begin Wangaratta g Performing g Arts and Convention Centre welcomes back theatre to stage g in 2022 HAVING spent most of the last two years navigating the unchartered territory of a pandemic, the team at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre is looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the theatre in 2022. It has been a difficult time for many, but particularly for those the performing arts sector, managing the logistics without knowing exactly what was around the corner. But today, Wangaratta’s premier theatre is back in business and preparing for
THE
BY ANITA McPHERSON amcpherson@ nemedia.com.au
the opening of Bluey’s Big Play, the hugely popular show a fitting way to start what promises to be an exciting new year. Venue manager Tanya Camplin said the theatre is able to run at full capacity, and while COVID rules are in place, they are ones we have all become accustomed to. She said masks need to
be worn indoors, everyone must scan the QR code on entry and those 18 and over need to be double vaccinated (or have a medical exemption) with identification also required. “We’re also doing additional cleaning of all the touch points, making sanitiser available and social distancing where possible in the foyer area, but the actual theatre and conference capacity is at 100 per cent,” she said. “There are still some catering restrictions in place
MAIN EVENT
for conferences and events, and Intermezzo Café has a density limit of one person per two square metres, but we are certainly open for business and have significant plans for 2022.” Ms Camplin said the team is in the process of finalising its program for this year, with a season launch planned for February when all will be revealed and some exciting shows on the horizon. While there are a number of rescheduled shows from 2020 and 2021, including Bluey’s Big Play which is
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making its fourth attempt to visit, she said there were a wide variety of shows for all ages. “There are shows for families and children, music, matinees, dance, drama and more,” she said. “We are very, very excited about the calibre of performers wanting to come to Wangaratta and that we’ve been able to work with to bring them here,” she said. “We’ve also got a lot of interest from other commercial touring parties - plus of course all our local
primary and secondary school, dance schools, choirs and music groups - who haven’t been able to perform on stage the last two years. “The venue is going to be jam-packed once we kick off in full swing from March through to November.” “There are so many amazing performances coming and we really hope the Wangaratta community gets behind them and comes to experience live theatre again - which we’ve all missed it so much.” ■ Continued page 2
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