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The former open air is now a car park and roadway whilst the theatre building was sold to the Christian Outreach Centre
c.1984. The closure of the Western Monarch brought the varied story of commercial film exhibition in Gilgandra to a
close.

After the purchasing the building the Outreach Centre group converted some of the stage space and the recessed entry area
into four shops. The front of the circle has been walled up to form a meeting space. A false ceiling was hung over"the stalls
area to improve heating and to reduce maintenance. The stalls area, which is now the centre for church services, has been
well maintained and still retains some of the features of the original theatre, especially in the balcony under rake ceiHng
and the attractive front of the balcony. To their credit The Outreach Centre people have expended considerable time and
money over the years to keep the building in good repair; which is not an easy task given the theatre's size and age.

References: (I) Gilgandra Museum & Historical Society Inc- Research Paper: "The Twin Shows of Gilgandra"
(2) Cultural Heritage of Movie Theatres In New South Wales, 1896-1996 by Ross Thome, Les Tod and Kevin Cor!<.
Published by the Department of Architecture, University of Sydney 1997

Acknowledgements: Mrs June Currnn:President of the Gilgandra Museum and Historical Society, whose co-operation and assistance was invaluable.
Old Photographs: Courtesy of the Gilgandra Museum and Historical Society

Arena Or Theatre: Which Shall Prevail? by Cameron Hall

The sporadic usage of many of Australia's most prestigious live theatres is no doubt a cause of considerable regret to
many CA.T.H.S members and theatre enthusiasts generally. An article by Phillippe Cahill in the October JS' 1999 edition
of Business Review Weekly (BRW) examines the business attractiveness of arena spectaculars as an alternative to
theatre musicals.

Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables are often feted as the most enduring and successful theatre
productions of recent years. With the exception ofThe Boy from Oz. 1999 has been a lean year and the immediate
future promises little relief. Cahill states that an up-front investment of about $2-3 million is required to launch an
'average' show to which weekly operating costs must be added. Producer John Frost indicates that a touring arena event
might recoup its investment within two months, if it succeeds. Frost contrasts this with a sit-down musical in a theatre
which probably will require six to eight months, or perhaps a year, to achieve the same result.

One can therefore easily comprehend the appeal of arena productions on commercial grounds. However, it must be
remembered that not all productions are conducive to arenas. Frost asserts within the BRW article that it is more
difficult to stage an arena event than a traditional musical because of the need to perform them in a round circuit. This,
he contends, restricts the role of scenery and can limit the impact of dialogue. The King and I and The Sound of Music
are presented as examples of musicals which are manifestly unsuitable to arena format.
Nevertheless, the mass-appeal of arena shows should not be underrated. Cahill cites as an example the 1998 production
of Grease which grossed $48 million from 68 performances and 650,000 ticket sales. As estimated profit of $18 million
is provided. The Main Event and Jesus Christ Superstar were also enormously successful. The Main Event generated
gross ticket revenue of $18 million. The album of the show sold in excess of 400,000 copies. Its television rating was
above 30.According to SEL' S chief executive James Erskine, Jesus Christ Superstar achieved a greater number of ticket
sales than Grease or The Main Event.

In Cahill's words, 'generating a buzz' is pivotal to the success of an arena musical which relies heavily on large ticket
sales within a limited time frame. This format may prove enticing to big-name performers who may not wish to commit
to longer-term productions. It is also stated that arena shows can tour more easily than traditional theatre productions.
Hence, overseas opportunities may become more viable.
Despite all of this, I do not believe it is the intention of Phillippe Cahill to leave lovers of traditional theatre musicals too
despondent. Theatre producer Paul Dainty expresses the view that there will always be audience support for quality
theatre musicals. Cahill concludes by informing readers that Dainty, Frost and Erskine are wary of newcomers into the
arena musical market who might damage the market. They also stress that not every arena event is a lay-down misere,
the momentum will be difficult to maintain and not many productions can be successfully transformed into arena
spectaculars.

I thank Business Review Weekly and business journalist Mr. Phillippe Cahill for their analysis of the business of Uve
musicals. I look forward to any future articles concerning the Cinema and Theatre industries which BRW may present.

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