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The Concourse, Chatswood

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The Concourse, Chatswood
The Concourse at sunset
Map
General information
Address409 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, New South Wales
Coordinates33°47′44″S 151°11′00″E / 33.7956886°S 151.1833663°E / -33.7956886; 151.1833663
Opened10 September 2011
Other information
Seating capacityConcert Hall: 1000
Theatre: 500
Civic Pavilion: 500
Website
The Concourse

The Concourse is a cultural centre in Chatswood, a suburb in Lower North Shore, Sydney. Opened in 2011, the complex includes facilities such as a civic pavilion, a concert hall, Chatswood Library, a theatre and other venues for cultural uses.[1]

History

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In 1903, the first Willoughby Town Hall was built on the current site of The Concourse, also functioning as the Council Chambers. The site was shared with the Council Pound, the School of Arts, and the Ku-ring-gai Masonic Lodge. In 1967, a three-storey ad administration building was constructed on the site, with a fourth floor was added in 1980.[2]

The new cultural complex was designed by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp architects.[3] Following demolition of the old buildings, construction of The Concourse began in July 2008 at a cost of approximately $162 million[4] and was completed in July 2011. The complex was officially opened on 17 September 2011 by then Governor of New South Wales Marie Bashir, and mayor of Willoughby, Pat Reilly.[2]

Facilities

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The Concourse features a public open space, a 500-seat theatre, rehearsal spaces, a 1,000-seat concert hall, cafés, retail and commercial outlets, a boutique hotel, and a multi-purpose exhibition hall. The Concourse also includes car parking over two basement levels and a 5,000 m3 stormwater detention tank as part of an integrated water management system.[1][5]

Art Space on The Concourse, a 92 m2 exhibition space, is located on the ground floor of The Concourse, hosting art exhibitions from local artists and art collectives.[6]

Chatswood Library, over 5,000 m2 in size, is also located in The Concourse.[1] The library is on the lower ground level, accessible from the main podium via lifts or stairs.[7] KLIK Systems, an Australian linear lighting manufacturer, was commissioned to design and supply indoor beam luminaries in the library.[8]

Patrons

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Patrons of The Concourse include leading figures in Australia's arts industries including soprano Yvonne Kenny, poet Les Murray, authors Matthew Reilly and Renée Goossens, and rock icon Angry Anderson AM.[1]

Events

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Todd McKenney (red rose in mouth) and Nancye Hayes dancing the tango in a performance of the play Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
Todd McKenney with his arm over Nancye Hayes's shoulder as she takes a telephone call during a performance of the play Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
Todd McKenney and Nancye Hayes performing together in Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (2016 Ensemble Theatre production at The Concourse, photos by Clare Hawley)

The Ensemble Theatre has staged productions at The Concourse.

In 2014, artistic director Sandra Bates mounted performances of all three plays in David Williamson's Jack Manning Trilogy – Face to Face, A Conversation, and Charitable Intent – back-to-back.[9] In 2016, in her final directorial role, Bates reunited with Todd McKenney and Nancye Hayes for a reprise of their 2006 production of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks,[10][11] which became the most successful production in the Ensemble's 58-year history.[12]

References

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Notes
  1. ^ a b c d "About – THE CONCOURSE". The Concourse, Chatswood. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Chatswood - The Concourse". www.visitchatswood.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012.
  3. ^ Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (27 May 2022). "The Concourse - fjcstudio". Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Willoughby Council - Project Funding and Costs". Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  5. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Sustainability Tour of the Concourse.mp4. YouTube.
  6. ^ "Art Space on The Concourse". Willoughby City Council. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Chatswood Library". Willoughby City Library. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Chatswood Library | KLIK Systems". KLIK Systems. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  9. ^ Carr, Deb (20 September 2014). "Theatre Review: Charitable Intent at The Concourse, Chatswood". Sydney Chic. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  10. ^ Hallett, Bruce (13 February 2006). "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  11. ^ Huntsdale, Justin (17 February 2016). "Theatre legends Todd McKenney and Nancye Hayes unite for heart-warming play". Australia: ABC News. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  12. ^ Hook, Chris (3 February 2016). "Ten years later, McKenney and Hayes bring Six Dance Lessons play back for another spin on stage". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
Sources
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