General News
23 May, 2019
Theatre floor removed
THE hardwood floor in Camperdown’s Theatre Royal had been worn so thin over time the boards were shattering into splinters as they were being removed this week.
THE hardwood floor in Camperdown’s Theatre Royal had been worn so thin over time the boards were shattering into splinters as they were being removed this week.
The $90,000 floor replacement project was included in the Corangamite Shire’s current year’s budget.
“Given the condition of the current boards, it was identified that full replacement was needed as the boards could no longer be sanded and resealed,” shire acting manager facilities and recreation Jane Hinds said.
“Council has worked with the contractor to establish the species of timber to match the existing floor as closely as practically possible.
“New blackbutt boards will be installed and finished with a water-based clear sealer.”
Ms Hinds said the new boards would have to acclimatise to the hall’s temperature before they were laid.
The floor replacement is expected to be finished by the end of June, a couple of weeks ahead of the upcoming Robert Burns Scottish Festival.
Further improvements scheduled for later this year include:
A new sound system;
Sound absorption treatments;
Stage traps for various audio and lighting connections; and
A remote retractable lighting bar at front of house.
Ms Janes said the theatre continued to be a valuable community asset, as shown by the recent six-show run of Spamalot, Co-Opera’s performance of Don Giovanni, the regular school holiday movies, annual Seniors Week concerns and Robert Burns Scottish Festival events.
It is the second time the floor has been replaced since the theatre was built in 1927 on the site of the former town hall, which burnt down the previous year.