Up Close and Personal

An Interview with Mr Rodney Phillips
Chief Executive,
AEG Ogden (Perth) Pty Ltd

In Australia and Perth, particularly right now, the mining boom is seeing unprecedented growth in the local economy and recently we have seen an upsurge in our business also, as the disposable dollar grows and leisure and entertainment spending increases. The State Government of Western Australia has embarked on big spending projects, including more money for the arts – both for physical infrastructure and operational expenditure. It is a good time in Perth working in the arts! From managing four venues of the Perth Theatre Trust in 1999, AEG Ogden has now grown to be managing six of the leading performing venues in Perth, including a new state of the art Drama Theatre complex, which is due to open in 2010.

The new Drama Theatre complex will be primarily for spoken word and contemporary dance programmes. The new complex will house a 575-seat proscenium arch state of the art Main Theatre and a 200-seat Studio Theatre under the Main Theatre for smaller scale productions with perhaps more of an “edge” to them. The venue will also be the administrative home of the States two professional drama companies, the Black Swan Theatre Company and Perth Theatre Company.
	The venue is due to open in the first half of 2010 and will replace the ageing 400-seat Playhouse Theatre. Work on the new venue has started this year, with key staff reviewing a range of practical matters relating to the successful management of the theatre. We will commence recruiting the management team for the new venue from early 2009.
We are also steadily working to improve the quality of our Perth operation and have made great strides in this regard over the past few years. Large-scale physical improvements and replacements are now in the process. I am particularly proud of our recent and growing programming achievements in both producing and presenting, so that we are quickly moving away from just being venues for hire. Previously, our four venues preferred the much safer option of being full time receiving houses of other people’s productions with none of the excitement of presenting and producing ourselves. Producing and presenting enables the building of our own brand, image and presence in Perth, together with the job satisfaction that comes from such activity. Amadeus by Peter Shaffer, the Cabaret Soirée season, regular seasons by Sydney Dance Company and the Bell Shakespeare Company are some of such programmes we have presented. Our latest presentation of Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands brings to fruition my team’s 12 months in the planning, including staying calm, committed and positive during periods of great stress and doubt over the viability and success of this huge production. The production did extremely well, there were standing ovations after every show, and ticket sales exceeded 80%, which were better than expected.