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Rent hikes at Royal Theatre delayed; arts group says issue not resolved

The society that runs the Royal Theatre says it will delay the rollout of rent hikes and new restrictive booking policies for local arts organizations at the Broughton Street venue.
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Under the new plan, rent at the Royal Theatre, currently $1,850 per day, will increase to $2,500 from Sunday to Wednesday, $3,500 on Thursdays and $4,000 on Friday or Saturday.

The society that runs the Royal Theatre says it will delay the rollout of rent hikes and new restrictive booking policies for local arts organizations at the Broughton Street venue.

Arts organizations had sought a reprieve, but said they were surprised by Tuesday’s announcement.

A statement provided to the Times Colonist by the Royal and McPherson Theatres Society said new policies pegged for September will be delayed by up to three years in some cases, following meetings between RMTS and the Royal Theatre User Group.

The user group represents the Victoria Symphony, Pacific Opera Victoria and Dance Victoria.

“The three not-for profit organizations asked for more time to adjust to the changes, and our board heard that request,” RMTS president Lorne DeLarge said in the statement.

But the Royal Theatre User Group said it does not consider the issue resolved. The RMTS told the group via email Tuesday that it would delay rental-rate increases and booking policies by three years.

The user group said a second part of its request — “that a public stakeholder consultation be commenced to determine the future use and purpose of the Royal Theatre” — has not yet been addressed.

“Nor has the RMTS addressed the fundamental issue of access restrictions,” the user group said in a statement.

The rental hikes and booking policy changes were delayed to accommodate current operating budgets and give producers more lead time in planning, RMTS said.

Pacific Opera Victoria will not be required to adhere to a new schedule until 2021, in order to prepare for its upcoming 40th anniversary season.

The McPherson Playhouse, which is also under the stewardship of RMTS, is not affected.

Under a plan put forth by the RMTS in October, rent at the Royal Theatre, currently $1,850 per day, will increase to $2,500 from Sunday to Wednesday, $3,500 on Thursdays and $4,000 on Friday and Saturday.

Among other stipulations, non-profit organizations will no longer be permitted to rent the theatre between Dec. 15 and Jan. 1, under the new booking policies.

This was done, RMTS said, to provide more access to other promoters, who under the previous arrangement were often unable to book the venue during that time frame.

At present, events by Dance Victoria, Pacific Opera Victoria and the Victoria Symphony are responsible for 74 per cent of the Royal Theatre’s revenues and generate 78 per cent of the venue’s annual attendance.

The non-profits that make up the Royal Theatre User Group accounted for 91 per cent of weekend dates between September and May last year. The Royal Theatre would stand to make more money renting the venue to commercial operators, which generally pay a higher rental rate.

When RMTS announced its new policies and price increases in October — a decision the Royal Theatre User Group says came without warning — the Victoria Symphony was forced to move portions of its upcoming season to the University of Victoria’s Farquhar Auditorium.

The Royal Theatre User Group is seeking the assistance of Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay councils, in addition to the Capital Regional District.

The group is recommending a formal third-party review of the civic theatres’ governance and operating models, stakeholder consultation to establish the future use of the civic theatre, and creation of a civic theatre mandate to address the values and needs of the municipalities.

mdevlin@timescolonist.com