Already freelance director Wesley Enoch has ruled himself out of contention,saying Williams’ decision to make way for the next generation of creative visionaries should be celebrated and applauded.
“I’ve had my time running a big state theatre company and festival,and it’s no use going back to us oldies to squeeze out some extra talent,” he said. “We should not be down on change.”
STC will be looking primarily from within its ranks and scouting main stage theatre companies across the country for that individual who,Enoch says,can walk the tightrope between commerciality and a progressive artistic vision.
The new artistic director will need the stamina and dexterity to simultaneously electrify audiences while attracting new philanthropic and corporate dollars at a time of budget deficit,aggravated by a ticket and donors’ boycott triggered byan on-stage pro-Palestinian protest last November.
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The STC board may opt for an artistic director who takes a higher-profile role in media and government advocating for its artists and the company. Williams is of a generation of artistic directors whose work has tended to speak for them.
Following the abrupt departure of British-based theatre-maker Jonathan Church,who quit after six months,citing the difficulties of juggling his London commitments,the STC would be unlikely to recruit from overseas.
“The Jonathan Church episode was scarring,” one source close to the STC said.
Among STC’s resident directors and associates,Rattray is the most experienced,and is taking her hit musicalFangirls to London’s Lyric Hammersmith in July. She premiered her latest work,Into the Shimmering World, on Saturday evening to glowing critical reviews.
The potential candidates’ list also includes the award-winning and experienced freelance director,Sarah Goodes,who has had a long association with STC and brought Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech to life inJulia, with Justine Clarke playing the former prime minister.
Sarks has been the MTC’s artistic director since October 2021,the first woman to take up the role since the company’s founding in 1953. It’s a relatively short time to bed programs and rebuild audiences;most observers expect her to stay in Melbourne. She did not respond to this masthead’s calls.
But it would only be a short cross-town trek for Eamon Flack,the talented artistic director from the Belvoir Street Theatre,were he to put up his hand. Flack is one half of the creative force that stagedCounting&Cracking, which scooped 14 major theatre awards. His repertoire is diverse,and he’s been unafraid to traverse political topics.
Another potential contender,Fergus Linehan,who directed the Dublin Theatre Festival and successfully helmed the Edinburgh International Festival,says he is committed to leading Carriageworks for “the long haul”.
Melbourne-based freelance director Sarah Giles could also be in the running as the creative force behind more than 25 productions for the MTC,STC,the Malthouse Theatre,and the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Opera Queensland.
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