Sydney Theatre Company may cut shows after $1.5m protest loss

Former chairman Alan Joyce went ‘missing in action’ during the crisis, insiders say, as concerns mount that the company will have to axe productions.

Former Sydney Theatre Company chair Alan Joyce went “missing in action” during the ­crisis sparked by a pro-Palestine protest on stage last November, insiders say, as concerns mount that the company will have to axe a number of productions in the wake of the furore.

The estimated $1.5m hit to the STC’s budget from cancelled tickets and lost donors may require significant cuts to its ambitious 2024 program, with productions that involve larger casts and that are more expensive to stage being hit the hardest.

“Every single cent of philanthropy, every cent of churn on the ticket, ends up on the stage – and if the cancellation of subscriptions and tickets is concrete, they will have to cut accordingly,” one insider told The Australian.

Mr Joyce said he had “reluctantly” resigned as chair of STC because he did not have the time to devote to fixing the company’s financial crisis, urging “dramatic action” to ensure its survival.

STC deputy chair Ann Johnson will replace him as chair, a move widely welcomed within the company.

Mr Joyce was appointed chair of the STC in March last year and had been on leave of absence since October, following his earlier than planned retirement as chief executive of Qantas.

Former Sydney Theatre Company chairman Alan Joyce. Picture: Getty Images

Three actors provoked a crisis in the company when they wore keffiyeh scarves at the opening night of The Seagull in November, prompting three members of STC’s governance teams – PR veteran Judi Hausmann, fashion executive Alex Schuman, and writer Ruth Ritchie – to resign in protest at the management’s handling of the crisis.

Mr Joyce’s involvement in the STC may have been an advantage during the early part of his chairmanship but his demise at Qantas badly impacted the STC at a time when it desperately needed help, according to one company source.

“It was a perfect storm and one of the reasons was that Alan Joyce was not on the job. Maybe it could have been resolved that week if the right calls were made, who knows?”

The resignation of the former Qantas boss was “a step in the right direction”, according to STC donor Michael Markiewicz, who withdrew his support over management’s handling of the crisis.

“Alan Joyce needed to go anyway – he was the wrong person for the role,” Mr Markiewicz told The Australian. “A high profile businessman must have an impeccable reputation and not have issues in the media around how he ran Qantas. The more so since the issues at the STC hit the media. And he’s been largely ­absent anyway.”

However, Mr Markiewicz, the son of Holocaust survivors, said Mr Joyce’s departure hadn’t encouraged him to reconsider his position as a donor.

Michael Markiewicz, a former donor to the STC. Picture: Martin Ollman

“It’s a step in the right direction, it sends a good message, but I need to see what Ann Johnson and the board are going to do.

“I need to see that they’re going to get actors who don’t bring their political views to the stage,” he said, referring to the actors who protested at the curtain call in November, among them Harry Greenwood, son of Hollywood star and STC foundation ­director Hugo Weaving.

“I looked at Harry Greenwood and it made me think – how many other people at the STC actually think the same as Harry and use me to get money, but look at me disdainfully? Oh yes, they’re good for the money, but respect? Zero. That they tolerate me because they need the money.”

Actor Harry Greenwood. Picture: Prudence Upton

The STC’s smash hit play RBG: Of Many, One, starring Heather Mitchell as US Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is unlikely to be affected by the company’s financial crisis, with its six-month national tour already selling well.

But others among the 14 or 15 shows planned this season may be in danger, theatre sources said.

“The shows with the larger and consequently more diverse casts, which has been the legacy of (artistic director) Kip Williams, putting an ensemble on stage … sadly, those with lots of emerging artists may be casualties.

“I don’t think the three young people understood the ramifications of that protest.”

The STC did not respond to ­requests to speak to Ms Johnson.