“We are not shocked by this,” says theater director Natalie Straatman. “These are things that can happen. It’s just a special time financially.” That is why a smaller plan is now being worked out. Straatman: “We go shopping with great hunger, but a smaller wallet. That means working hard on the ambitions, because we do want to stick to the budget. People really shouldn’t see this as some megalomaniac plan, we are so realistic possible. I can’t just do whatever I like, there’s a well thought-out plan behind this.”
According to Straatman, postponing the renovation of Ogterop until after the summer of 2024 is not possible. “The foyer and main hall look good, the audience has a good experience. That is why the need does not seem to be there, but we are really pressed for time. Every day we are in suspense, hoping that a day will pass without anything breaking. ” An example is the hoisting installation for set pieces, above the stage. Multiple hoists don’t work. “It breaks down all the time,” says Straatman. “We keep patching them up, so all performances can continue as usual. But the employees are eagerly awaiting the day when something like this is tackled during the major renovation.”
Hard work on the ambitions does not have to mean a decline, Straatman promises. “I don’t know if we can keep the current size. But if we can address practicalities from the current theater, we can already achieve more with less space.” A shortcoming, for example, is the sound leak between the main hall and the small hall. Currently, the halls cannot be used simultaneously. Solving that will make Ogterop more efficient and allow it to receive more visitors.
The new Ogterop will also have better rooms, so that they can be rented out more often to companies for gatherings and meetings. “That is becoming increasingly important to us, Meppel doesn’t have that many good spaces and we can use this in the budget,” says Straatman.
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