Thank you to our friends for your generosity in a difficult world

Two tales of performers at fortyfivedownstairs

1: Max Gillies

In 2017, Max came to us with a proposal to perform in our theatre. Eventually we whittled the wishlist down to one of the greatest 20th century classics, Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape. Premiering in 2018, the superlative production was such a critical and popular success we had a return season in 2019.

2: Zoe Knighton 

The cellist Zoe Knighton’s history with us goes back to 2001, when the newly formed Flinders Quartet performed at our very first fundraising lunches. Since then she has performed here many times. This year she became our first “musician in residence” just as the pandemic crisis closed everything. But we haven’t given up hope for the rest of the year!

I can guarantee the cello sounds even more beautiful in our theatre or gallery. We are planning a performance by Zoe combining the Bach Cello Suites with projected images by award winning photographer Pia Johnson.

In what has been an almost unimaginably difficult time there has been an amazing response to raise the funds we need to survive. We can’t thank you enough. No, we have not made our Drive to Survive target, but when we add funds that were donated directly by cheques, we have reached almost 75% of the $250,000 needed to keep going into 2021. So we will have to be careful, but that’s something that’s always been a reality for independent theatre and visual art. Thank you to everyone for your support of Drive to Survive – and just a reminder that there are two days to the end of financial year (just in case you forgot!).

We look forward very much to seeing you all again,and we will certainly be in touch as soon as we can with a date for re-opening. In the meantime, keep safe and well. Err on the side of caution!

Warm wishes from Andy, Briar, Cameron, Katy, Mary Lou and Philippa.