Thu 3 Feb 2011 In: Our Communities View at Wayback View at NDHA
With the Mercury Rising Campaign gathering public support for reestablishment of the Mercury Theatre I am mindful of the many gay men and women who played a major role, night after night, year in year out to bring drama, opera, comedy, musical theatre and all manner of art and entertainments to the people of Auckland through the late 60s, the 70s, 80s and into the early 90s before the theatre company folded and the venue closed to the public. I am equally mindful of the huge social and economic impact the Mercury had on the K' Rd and Newton area long before the first drag queen strutted and gay bars spilled out on to the street with loud music and garish decorations – the Mercury attracted people to fill the shops and provided the before and after show bars. The Mercury Theatre The Mercury was the first professional theatre in Auckland and featured the prominent local and internationally trained actors and broadcasters of the time. Hundreds of people worked at the Mercury either on stage or backstage or in management and administration roles over the decades of the company's existence. Along with the company members of Theatre Corporate, a contemporary company of the Mercury in neighbouring Galatos Street, a substantial theatre community was firmly established for many years in and around K' Rd - a community with creative skills, talents, and passions for exploration and change to the basic and stuffy social order of that time. While definitely a mixed community in terms of gender, age, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and sexual orientation there were a substantial number of gay men and women living their hopes and dreams openly and boldly in the welcoming, accepting arms of mother theatre and the bohemia of K' Rd; during an a era when it was still absolutely illegal to practice homosexual sex anywhere on these islands and being "musical", 'queer' a 'Nancy boy' or lesbian was by no means broadly accepted. The Mercury and the broader theatre community was not without people shy of homosexuality or even dissenting but they seemed to be a very small minority and it was definitely "not cool" to be a bigot or narrow-minded. With so many talented “queer bunnies” around at the time the theatre was a haven and a magnet for gay men and women as well as the straight, the weird and the wonderful. Those Gay men and women who were associated with the theatre community grew up and developed creatively and as people with friends, supporters, a sense of value, purpose, self-respect and at times large amounts of public adoration - certainly a vastly contrasting experience to gay men and women living and working elsewhere in the lingering oppression of the NZ law and the hard, emotionally introverted male culture of the period. And, sometimes queer hell was let loose, on stage and off, at parties and during rehearsals and meetings with every opportunity taken to camp it up right royally, as only thespians can darling; and I am not only talking about the members of the company who were gay.. Thus, much of Auckland's early exposure to "things queer” came through the entertainments of the time across the acceptable and palatable filter of the stage. Did it soften the edges and hearts of Auckland society and the lawmakers to help bring about homosexual law reform? I do not know for certain that it did but the theatre was certainly a major and frequent straight / queer interface for many tens of thousands of people across 25 years and I believe that this positive kind of exposure must have had a very positive impact. So as well as nurturing actors, theatre audiences and all manner of professional level entertainments the Mercury played an undoubted role in fostering and normalizing queer community in Auckland well before 'gay' became a rather inadequate word for a homosexual and the full force of the Gay tide had washed up upon these shores. While the Mercury Campaign is definitely about exploring the future use, benefits and role of the Mercury theatre it moves into that possible future with an eye of appreciation of the past, of what and whom has gone before and what they did; not just those who happened to be Gay but the whole wonderful, ever changing community of people. One is so tempted to name the many names of the singers, actors, musical theatre stars, director and administrators who fitted the mould of the Gay creative at the Mercury. Some of these passionate creatives lived the dream and now just live in our memories through their work while others who live on, larger than life, still produce work for the edification of the Auckland theatre going public. Perhaps it is enough to say that the Mercury Rising Campaign remembers, appreciates and honours you queer folk among the many, and success in returning the theatre to broad performing arts use as a venue of hot entertainment for the people of Auckland is significantly driven by the work you began. GayNZ.com readers can support the reestablishment of this wonderful theatre by offering small and significant pledges of cash, resources and services; and this coming Saturday 5 February by attending the Mercury Supporters Flash mob Photo shoot outside the theatre in Mercury Lane – meeting by 11 am at Beresford Square just off Pitt street – noise and colour are mandatory. Contact Richard to keep in touch or offer support for the campaign: MercuryRisingCampaign@gmail.com Richard Howard was a performer at Mercury Theatre and Theatre Corporate in the late 70s who is fighting to revive the venue. If you would like to contribute a piece to the Community Comment Column email gaynz@woosh.co.nz Richard Howard - 3rd February 2011