ANNUAL REPORT BETRAYAL CANNIBALISM COURAGE EYE WITNESS FAMILY TIES FEMINISM FRENEMIES HILARITY LONGING LOVE AND ATTRACTION MADNESS MORTALITY POLITICS RECKONING SINGING TRANSITION TRAVEL Aims of the Company To provide first class theatrical entertainment for the people of Sydney – theatre that is grand, vulgar, intelligent, challenging and fun. That entertainment should reflect the society in which we live thus providing a point of focus, a frame of reference, by which we come to understand our place in the world as individuals, as a community and as a nation. Richard Wherrett, 1980 Founding Artistic Director Marshall Napier, Richard Roxburgh, Eamon Farren, Cate Blanchett and Martin Jacobs in The Present. Photo: Lisa Tomasetti 2015 in Numbers ACTORS 146% AND CREATIVES 2 889 255 EMPLOYED 131 $418,855 C R 19TEACHING OF TI KET P ICE 318,899 SAVINGS PASSED ON TO ARTISTS TIX 759 6,330 SUNCORP TWENTIES CUSTOMERS EMPLOYED TIX PAID PEOPLE OVERSEAS 10,045 SAW A AND ATTENDEES WAITING FOR GODOT N TIONAL OVER $20M TO STC’S 2015 PROGRAM INTERNATIONAL TOTAL TICKET 47.7% PERFORMANCES INCOME EARNED REDUCTION IN WORLD GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS SINCE 2007 PREMIERES 1,273 4 71.3% WEEKS AVERAGE OF WORK 20,513 5,887 PLAYWRIGHTS REDUCTION CAPACITY TOTAL SUBSCRIBERS NEW SUBSCRIBERS 15 ON COMMISSION IN WATER USAGE SINCE 2007 86% FOR ACTORS 4 5 Ian Jonathan Narev Church CHAIR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR During Board discussions at Sydney Theatre Company, we refer Mark Leonard Winter, Jacek Koman, Geoffrey Rush and Robyn Nevin I am delighted and honoured to be the next Artistic Director of Paula Arundell (background), Eryn Jean Norvill and Paula Arundell regularly to Richard Wherrett’s founding aims of the Company: in King Lear. Photo: Heidrun Löhr Sydney Theatre Company and alongside Chair Ian Narev, Deputy (foreground) in Suddenly Last Summer. Photo: Brett Boardman “to provide first-class theatrical entertainment for the people of Chair and Chair of the Foundation Ann Johnson, and Executive Sydney – theatre that is grand, vulgar, intelligent, challenging and fun.” Director Patrick McIntyre, I look forward to leading the Company through its next phase of development. The Company seeks to entertain, and provide pleasure. But it also also chairs the Foundation. The Board works hard to challenge and But, interestingly, something else is going on. seeks to provoke and challenge. support an exceptional management team led by Patrick, and his I have watched from afar STC’s growth over the past 30 years dedicated and talented colleagues. The positive engagement between and the Company has become a beacon of artistic adventure and The commitment to the arts here in Sydney is immense. There is a I would like to pay tribute to two people who made an enormous Board and management is one of the keys to the Company’s success. international excellence. The opportunity to be a part of this unique tangible sense that this community believes the arts are important contribution to our pursuit of these goals, and who left the Company Company, and to come to work at STC’s home at The Wharf every and they invest in them, both publicly and privately. There is an over the past year: my predecessor David Gonski and our former Of course, challenges remain. Our plans to refurbish The Wharf to day, was an exciting one. absolute fundamental belief that the arts matter, that even in a small Artistic Director Andrew Upton. ensure that it continues to deliver great experiences to audiences and way you can change people’s lives, the quality of their life, the quality artists for the next generation remain only part-funded, and any I have also been fortunate enough to work first-hand with some of of our society and have a conversation about who we are as a nation. David’s six years as Chair were transformative in the life of the disruption to our operations that may arise from the building Australia’s best theatre practitioners and I have a strong sense of the Company. He oversaw a period of great success both onstage and program will present a serious risk to be managed. While last year’s extraordinary talent that exists and the deep sense of commitment I look forward to joining that conversation. off, including keeping Andrew Upton onboard as solo Artistic exceptional program drove a sound financial result, a non-profit arts to the theatre and the arts in general that is being fostered by Director once his and Cate Blanchett’s joint tenure came to an end organisation must face the perennial problem of costs rising faster companies across Australia. in 2012. We are still enjoying the fruits of Andrew’s great vision and than revenue which requires careful balancing in order that the skill in 2016 as his last program continues to play out – and this Company can continue to serve its community for the long term. Since joining STC, I’ve felt very powerfully that this is one of the annual report for 2015 speaks volumes about his success in devising most extraordinary places in the world to make work. Certainly the Jonathan Church programs of great relevance and appeal. However, with the great skills across the organisation, a loyal, work I have seen since taking up the role bears this out. From the Artistic Director generous and growing group of private supporters, committed deeply moving and important The Secret River, to Andrew Upton’s David also worked closely with Executive Director Patrick McIntyre corporate partners, and the ongoing investment of the Federal wonderful The Present with its fabulous cast led by Cate Blanchett and the management team to consolidate key parts of the business Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and and Richard Roxburgh, I thank Andrew for leaving the Company to better serve our artistic mission. Importantly, 45-year leases advisory body, and the State Government through Arts NSW, in such great artistic shape. were secured from the State Government for our Walsh Bay home we have a great platform for success. base venues, The Wharf and Roslyn Packer Theatre. This long-term Nowhere else in the world is there a theatre company quite like it in security then enabled us to proceed with raising capital funds to One of David Gonski’s last actions as Chair of the Board was to terms of what it can offer to theatre-makers. From set construction, refurbish The Wharf after more than 30 years of constant use. We appoint the incoming Artistic Director, Jonathan Church. The props and costumes through to rehearsal rooms and two out of the owe a debt of gratitude to The Packer Family Foundation, Crown appointment of the Artistic Director is perhaps the single most Company’s four theatres all on one site, every element needed to Resorts Foundation, The Paradice Family Foundation and the W & A important decision for the Board and we were delighted that help foster artists and enable them to create their best work are here, Johnson Foundation for their leadership gifts in this area. Jonathan decided to join us and lead the Company into the next supported by a dedicated and highly skilled staff. chapter of its life. He will continue to draw inspiration from All of this has placed us in the position to announce pleasing results Richard Wherrett’s vision, as will all of us. It’s no surprise that STC attracts the best existing and emerging for 2015: an operating surplus of $618,101 derived from strong results Australian and international talent and continues to serve Sydney across the Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company audiences with the most vibrant, excellent and entertaining theatre Foundation and Roslyn Packer Theatre business units. Taking possible. There is a genuine connection with artists and the community into account $2.05M received towards our capital campaign, the here that goes back to the founding moments of the Company. In consolidated group result becomes a surplus of $2.668M ($1.797M Ian Narev addition to our brilliant Resident Artists, I’ve been meeting with as in 2014). In total, we generated revenue of $38.358M during the year. Chair many directors, playwrights, creatives and actors as possible and the conversations have been inspiring and thought-provoking. We are also fortunate to have a passionate group of Directors on the Board of the Company, including Deputy Chair Ann Johnson, who 6 7 Matthew Backer, Garth Holcombe, Jacqueline McKenzie, Anthony Patrick Ann Taufa and John Gaden in Orlando. Photo: Prudence Upton McIntyre Johnson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHAIR STC FOUNDATION 2015 was a real testament to the depth and breadth of theatrical Anthony Mayor in Storm Boy. The results of 2015 are a testament to the commitment and generosity talent in Australia - and the ability of STC to bring it all together and Photo: Brett Boardman of Sydney Theatre Company’s family of donors. From round-up turn it into fifteen terrific shows (sixteen including the tour of 2013’s donations and direct mail campaigns to major gifts for specific Waiting for Godot to London). Not surprisingly, given the strength projects, fundraising events and bequests, our donors are paramount of the program, which would turn out to be Andrew Upton’s second in driving the success of the Company. This figure demonstrates the I would like to reiterate the importance of donations at all levels; each to last as Artistic Director, season ticket holders were at a seven-year helps us bridge the ever-challenging (and growing) gap between costs collective efforts of donors at every level. The support of our donors donation counts and we are incredibly grateful for every contribution.