company b 2006 annual report contents Company Staff 2006 ...................................................... 2 Key Performance Indicators ............................................. 30 Core Values & Principles and Mission ................................ 3 Financial Report ............................................................. 32 Chair’s Report ............................................................... 4 Directors’ Report ....................................................... 32 Artistic Director’s Report ................................................ 6 Directors’ Declaration ................................................. 35 General Manager’s Report ............................................... 8 Income Statement ...................................................... 36 Farewell from Rachel Healy .............................................. 10 Balance Sheet ........................................................... 37 Season 2006 ................................................................. 14 Cash Flow Statement ................................................. 39 Touring 2006 ................................................................ 21 Statement of Changes in Equity ................................... 39 B Sharp 2006 ................................................................ 22 Notes to the Financial Statements .............................. 40 Education ..................................................................... 24 Independent Audit Report .......................................... 49 Additional Activities ....................................................... 26 B Keepers, Partners and Government Support .................... 29 the company b story Company B sprang into being out of the Australia’s most prominent and promising position as one of Australia’s most unique action taken to save the Nimrod playwrights, directors, actors and designers innovative and acclaimed theatre Theatre building from demolition in 1984. to present an annual artistic program that companies. Company B also supports Rather than lose a performance space in is razor-sharp, popular and challenging. outstanding independent theatre companies inner city Sydney, more than 600 arts, Belvoir St Theatre’s greatly loved Upstairs through its annual B Sharp season. entertainment and media professionals and Downstairs stages have been the On 4 October 2006, Belvoir St Theatre as well as ardent theatre lovers, formed artistic watering holes of many of Australia’s reopened after undergoing a major a syndicate to buy the building. The great performing artists such as Geoffrey renovation to provide Company B with a syndicate included nearly every successful Rush, Cate Blanchett, Jacqueline McKenzie, state of the art home for the future whilst person in Australian show business. Ursula Yovich, Richard Roxburgh, Max retaining the charm of the original building. Company B is one of Australia’s most Cullen, Bille Brown, David Wenham, Deborah From July 2005 until September 2006, celebrated theatre companies. Under Mailman and Catherine McClements. Company B and B Sharp were resident the artistic leadership of Neil Armfield, Sell-out productions like Cloudstreet, at the Seymour Centre, Chippendale. the company performs at its home at The Judas Kiss, The Alchemist, Hamlet, Company B receives government Belvoir St Theatre in Surry Hills, Sydney The Small Poppies, Waiting for Godot, support for its activities from the federal and from there tours to major arts The Underpants, Gulpilil, Stuff Happens, government through the Major Performing centres and festivals both nationally Keating! and Parramatta Girls have Arts Board of the Australia Council and and internationally. Company B engages consolidated Company B’s the state government through Arts NSW. 1 ARTISTIC & PROGRAMMING BOX OFFICE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR BOX OFFICE MANAGER Neil Armfield AO Carly Leonard GENERAL MANAGER ASSISTANT BOX OFFICE MANAGERS Rachel Healy UNTIL 3.11.06 Amanda Burns ACTING GENERAL MANAGER Georgie Le Poer Trench UNTIL 30.7.06 Sue Donnelly from 30.1.06 UNTIL 28.7.06 PRODUCTION EDUCATION Simon Keen from 3.8.06 CORE VALUES & PRINCIPLES John Woodland from 4.11.06 BOX OFFICE STAFF PRODUCTION MANAGER EDUCATION OFFICER ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Mary-Elizabeth Andrews, Chris Axelsen from 30.1.06 Jane May Wesley Enoch from 20.3.06 Bronte Arns, Donna Brooks, PRODUCTION COORDINATOR DOWNSTAIRS THEATRE DIRECTOR Lucy Chesterton, Ewen Duncan UNTIL 13.4.06 MARKETING Lyn Wallis Rebecca Clifford, Sam Richards from 20.4.06 MARKETING MANAGER LITERARY MANAGER Kevin Cox, Lizzie Doyle, TECHNICAL MANAGER Caroline Pearce Anthony Weigh UNTIL 29.1.06 Laurence Driscoll, Tristan Ellis-Windsor UNTIL 25.6.06 MARKETING COORDINATOR Eamon Flack from 18.4.06 Sandrine Durand, Liam Fraser from 26.6.06 Tilda Silkes from 23.2.06 UNTIL 19.7.06 ACTING LITERARY MANAGER Simon Greiner, HEAD MECHANIST MARKETING & PUBLICATIONS Polly Rowe from 29.1.06 UNTIL 16.4.06 Talia Linz, Jan S. Goldfeder UNTIL 9.11.06 COORDINATOR Lucy Marinelli, Rebekah Moore, HEAD MECHANIST Christine Bradburn from 28.8.06 Claudia O’Doherty, ADMINISTRATION Shaun Poustie from 10.11.06 PUBLICITY Nicola Shortridge ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATOR DOWNSTAIRS TECHNICAL MANAGER Sarah Wilson UNTIL 23.6.06 Chris Mercer from 3.9.06 Maryann Sulic from 13.2.06 John Woodland COMPANY B ACTING ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATOR COSTUME COORDINATOR Mollison Communications Judy Tanner UNTIL 29.1.06 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Janet Clayton from 6.11.06 2006 SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Claire Rasmussen FRONT OF HOUSE from 9.4.06 UNTIL 19.7.06 Neil Armfield AO Sue Donnelly UNTIL 30.1.06 FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER Genevieve Blewitt from 9.10.06 Anne Britton ADMINISTRATION COORDINATOR Damien Storer from 20.8.06 mIssIon Kate Meyers ASSISTANT FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER Michael Coleman from 1.5.06 Russell Dykstra IT & buildings manager Bianca Rowe from 1.10.06 DEVELOPMENT Rachel Healy UNTIL 3.11.06 Jan S. Goldfeder from 10.11.06 BAR STAFF DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Soraya Asmar, Louise Herron Matt Wacher UNTIL 19.3.06 John Kitney UNTIL 14.5.06 FINANCE Alexander Bryant-Smith, PHILANTHROPY MANAGER Sophie Cook, Ben Geurens, Samantha Meers UNTIL 19.10.06 BUSINESS MANAGER Christine Sammers from 10.4.06 Katrina Golding, Kallista Kaval, Brian Thomson AM Chie-Hoon Lee UNTIL 30.6.06 CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS MANAGERS Dale March, Ben Mortley, Mary Vallentine AO UNTIL 27.3.06 Terese Casu from 3.10.06 Janine Collins from 1.5.06 Ashlie Pellow, Orli Wargon FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR Frances McDonald from 12.4.06 Christopher Richardson Peter Watts AM Ann Brown 2 CORE VALUES & PRINCIPLES - Belief in the primacy of the artistic process - Clarity and playfulness in storytelling - A sense of the community within the theatrical environment - A responsiveness to current social and political issues - Equality, ethical standards and shared ownership of artistic and company achievements - Development of our performers, artists and staff mIssIon To produce theatrical works from a shared vision that question and affirm our culture, extend and develop our artists and provide audiences with experiences of imaginative daring and emotional depth. 3 chaIr’s report What a year we had. It was perhaps the rockiest It made a huge difference, as did the original $5m a fantastic new role at the Opera House. In the for the Board of Company B in the last five years from the NSW Government and $300,000 from decade that Rachel managed the Company, it but by far the most satisfying. the City of Sydney. became what it is today: the heart and soul of Through the persistence and leadership shown Unfortunately while rushing to finish the Australian theatre. Rachel and Neil had one of by Barry McGregor (our project manager), Peter theatre, the costs of renovating our new warehouse those rare symbiotic relationships. They drew Watts (Company B) and Andrew Cameron (Chair on the corner of Elizabeth and Belvoir Streets ran from one another and together built something Company A), the renovated theatre was ready for somewhat wild. We spent a few pretty nervous extraordinary. Neil has often said how greatly he the opening on 4 October, even though it was “not months, under the expert guidance of Sue Procter, appreciated Rachel’s artistic sensibility, as well as completely finished”, as Barry said in his report. working out how to pay for that without drawing her eye for detail and ability to manage so many The opening night was a great success: a new on the line of credit we had arranged with Westpac. things at once. Her leaving speech is reproduced in play, a new foyer and a great buzz. There was Dipping into 2007 as I write this, we now see the full in this report. It gives a great sense of Rachel plenty of quirky and loving acknowledgement of light at the end of the tunnel as we experience and her enormous contribution. the many donors: the Gonski Meers Foundation extraordinary ticket sales driven by sell-out Where would we find a replacement? Vicki Foyer, the Hal Bar, the marvellous etching by success with both Keating! and Parramatta Girls, Middleton, the GM from Legs on the Wall, was the Robert Cousins, names on seats and stairs, as well as achieving our highest subscription rates stand out candidate interviewed by the selection all witnessing the fact that this was a group ever. All this means that we will not need the panel comprising Peter Watts, Rob Brookman effort and a mighty successful one, as recognised Westpac line after all. (GM Sydney Theatre Company), Neil and me. by our winning the inaugural NSW Australian Company A now