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THE REGENT 'OPEN DAYS' MOOMBA WEEKEND 1994 by tan Williams

"Sorry- going away" was the "excuse" I heard coming over the phone when contacting CATHS members who
had helped out on tour guides on the Regent open days last September. At relatively short notice, the Council
had decided to open the theatre for public tours once again, this time to coincide with the Moomba holiday
weekend. Originally this was to be Sunday/Monday, but when it was realized that the parade was on Saturday
this then became Saturday/Sunday.

The main arrangement were apparently left to one person at the Council, with my part the arranging of and
conducting with others of tours. As well as CATHS members, additional people from the tours and front of
house areas of the Arts Centre came along. With a potted history of the theatre (Save The Regent Committee
files) and unlimited enthusiasm, launched into what they all agreed were two tiring but extremely satisfying
days. There was some initial confusion about the pricing of the tours but like the CATHS day these minor
problems were soon resolved and things ran smoothly.

A continuous slide show opposite the box office gave people a taste of the theatre as it was, whilst they waited
for each tour to commence. The tours followed the now familiar route I had taken many times, from the
"Grande Foyer" to the Regal Promenade (Circle Foyer), then the magnificent vista of the auditorium as viewed
from the Circle. Finally a complete view from the orchestra pit back, and then most viewed the video of "Save
The Regent Committee's slides with Denzil Howson's commentary.

From my own sets of original 8x1 0 photos, the Council had reproduced and mounted a complete display of the
theatre from 1929 to the present day. Over the two days we handled over 2,500 people which compares
favourably with the previous opening.

Finally my sincere thanks to those CATHS members who with the other people worked very hard to ensure a
very successful weekend.

REGENTTOURSINCORPORATED? by tan Williams

With the March opening of the Regent Theatre for public inspection, I am beginning to wonder if I have
unwittingly dropped into a new growth industry - "occasional" tours of this magnificent, but for 24 years, ne-
glected theatre.

It all started when, as part of a deal for the Builders Labourers Federation lifting the ban on demolition of
Wentworth House (on the west side of Regent Place). the theatre was to be open during lunch hours for public
inspection. As my work hours permitted I was in the auditorium on as many days as possible testing public
opinion and found that the overwhelming majority of people were in favour of retaining the theatre. After a time
these "open days" petered out and the theatre once again sat silently and forlorn whilst various Lord Mayors
and Councillors dithered about one solution or another for reopening the theatre.

The National Trust opened the theatre for three hours on a Sunday in 1992 as part of Heritage Week and I went
up and down the marble stairs more times than I care to remember. When the Tabaret was proposed, another
group started a campaign against this proposal and again I found myself taking large groups on tours via a now
familiar route. The next Trust opening last September was much bigger and at $5 admission per head over two
hectic days gave quite a boost to their funds. On that occasion I was assisted by a team of Trust members who
had swatted up on the history of the theatre. Unfortunately the Fire Department who normally insist on being
present for public safety were not in sight due to some misunderstanding, but the show went on!

Then the Caths weekend -the last opening prior to restoration, well not quite. Early February as part of the
Classic Car Race weekend at Albert Park, vintage cars were on display in the Stalls area with paying guests
entertained by movies of car races, projected on a screen placed on the orchestra pit. I had been asked by the
Council also to conduct tours for those people interested and whilst numbers were not large, I found that those
who decided to tour the auditorium were amazed at what they had originally thought to be a decaying building,
was in effect an auditorium on a scale that they didn't think existed.

P.S. The Melba Tours? Well we have just had a second "last open day" prior to the Moomba weekend. Let's
hope we do not emulate that "Grand Lady" of the Opera world who kept on giving final tours?
P.P.S. In April another "function" ! An exhibition of memorabilia of rock stars "Pink Floyd" at $2 admission.
Hopefully the next "activity" will be hammers, scaffolding and workmen on the job for the long awaited restora-
tion of our Regent Theatre.