Old Quarantine Station Up and Running with Defiance
May 15th 2008 15:01
OLD QUARANTINE STATION UP AND RUNNING WITH DEFIANCE
Ashleigh Dollin
New live theatre production Defiance launches as part of the redeveloped North Head Quarantine station.
Sydney’s newest live theatre production Defiance produced and directed by Carlton Lamb Productions, is the latest addition to the new Quarantine station now known as the Q station.
In 1994 National Parks and Wild Life Services who owned the Quarantine station came to the conclusion that they needed $4 million spent urgently to maintain the steadily deteriorating site.
NPWS didn’t have these funds and needed help from the private sector.
This caused much controversy as people were concerned that the introduction of the private sector would limit public access to the site and destroy important historical aspects of the site.
The lease of the former quarantine station was granted to the Mawland Group and the Minister for the Environment.
The Q station offers an information centre, accommodation, meeting and conference venues, 2 restaurants and a spa to be opened in July.
Starring Damian Rice, Rebekah Moore,
and Lucy Miller, Defiance takes place in two areas of the Q station, the original laundry room and the re-built replica hospital.
The original hospital burnt down in 2002.
Named Immersion Theatre the audience is literally immersed in the history of the place as they watch true stories being replayed in the original and intimate venue capable of holding up to 100 people.
“The intrigue of this show is having a lot of the action occur in the actual venue [the stories happened in] because it adds a dimension and weight to it,” says Schwerdt as he pulls out one of the old driers “that action there, pushing these heavy 80 year old things around, puts you in the physical realm of the character.”
The production focuses on the real stories of men and women who were interned at the former Quarantine Station from 1828 until 1984.
“They made a lot of mistakes as it says in the second act, fear can change a man, plague of the body is more like a plague of the mind, people went a little crazy in the plague,” says Schwerdt.
The production covers small pox, Spanish influenza, the plague and beyond the past it looks into the future to 2020 with the possible outbreak of avian flu.
This is explored with news flashes in the second act.
“If there is a big disease places like these… will fill up with people again and because of the amazing explosion of world transport those diseases will go everywhere quickly,” Schwerdt says “we don’t have cures, we have quarantine and anti-virals, that’s it.”
Along with the old venue Defiance mixes advanced technology and visual effects, with the use of a range of lights including robotic lights and a projector, to evoke atmosphere and make the machinery look like it is running.
“It’s quite amazing what they can do, technologically it’s very advanced so it’s an interesting marriage” says Schwerdt explaining the lights.
Much of the former Quarantine station has been preserved, however the old hospital has been rebuilt and the boiler room has been changed into a top class restaurant called the Boiler House.
The Boiler House includes three sections. The engine house offers a casual setting for drinks and the opportunity to take in the site of two enormous carefully restored boilers.
The walls are surrounded by the original pipes and valves that sent steam to the autoclaves and boiling water to showers and laundry.
Upstairs offers a dining area with views of Quarantine beach and there is also the option of outdoor dining.
The second restaurant, Views, is specifically for overnight guests and is situated in the second class precinct and offers views of bushland and Sydney Harbour.
The Q station offers 75 rooms and 6 cottages for accommodation. Many options and services are available for guests to choose from.
If Guests should choose the premium service they can have the buildings that their rooms are located in made totally private and they can enjoy their own chef / butler service in their own dining room.
To ensure the site is maintained Mawland Group and the minister for the environment have established rules.
“They have a lot of rules, many of which are annoying for people who work here” laughs Schwerdt, “but all of them are geared towards making sure this place is maintained as a museum and a heritage site.”
The Q Station is listed on the National Estate, along with the Sydney Opera House, one level below World Heritage significance.
Defiance had its full launch on May 14.
Defiance will run: Thursday & Friday 8.00pm, Saturday 2.00pm and 7.30pm and Sunday 5.00pm.
The prices are $65.00 for an adult and $52.00 for a concession or choose the dinner and Defiance package at $115 per head.
Visit www.qstation.com.au for more information
copy right - ablereporter
Ashleigh Dollin
New live theatre production Defiance launches as part of the redeveloped North Head Quarantine station.
Sydney’s newest live theatre production Defiance produced and directed by Carlton Lamb Productions, is the latest addition to the new Quarantine station now known as the Q station.
In 1994 National Parks and Wild Life Services who owned the Quarantine station came to the conclusion that they needed $4 million spent urgently to maintain the steadily deteriorating site.
NPWS didn’t have these funds and needed help from the private sector.
This caused much controversy as people were concerned that the introduction of the private sector would limit public access to the site and destroy important historical aspects of the site.
The lease of the former quarantine station was granted to the Mawland Group and the Minister for the Environment.
The Q station offers an information centre, accommodation, meeting and conference venues, 2 restaurants and a spa to be opened in July.
Starring Damian Rice, Rebekah Moore,
Berynn Schwerdt
The original hospital burnt down in 2002.
Named Immersion Theatre the audience is literally immersed in the history of the place as they watch true stories being replayed in the original and intimate venue capable of holding up to 100 people.
“The intrigue of this show is having a lot of the action occur in the actual venue [the stories happened in] because it adds a dimension and weight to it,” says Schwerdt as he pulls out one of the old driers “that action there, pushing these heavy 80 year old things around, puts you in the physical realm of the character.”
The production focuses on the real stories of men and women who were interned at the former Quarantine Station from 1828 until 1984.
“They made a lot of mistakes as it says in the second act, fear can change a man, plague of the body is more like a plague of the mind, people went a little crazy in the plague,” says Schwerdt.
The production covers small pox, Spanish influenza, the plague and beyond the past it looks into the future to 2020 with the possible outbreak of avian flu.
This is explored with news flashes in the second act.
“If there is a big disease places like these… will fill up with people again and because of the amazing explosion of world transport those diseases will go everywhere quickly,” Schwerdt says “we don’t have cures, we have quarantine and anti-virals, that’s it.”
Along with the old venue Defiance mixes advanced technology and visual effects, with the use of a range of lights including robotic lights and a projector, to evoke atmosphere and make the machinery look like it is running.
“It’s quite amazing what they can do, technologically it’s very advanced so it’s an interesting marriage” says Schwerdt explaining the lights.
Much of the former Quarantine station has been preserved, however the old hospital has been rebuilt and the boiler room has been changed into a top class restaurant called the Boiler House.
The Boiler House includes three sections. The engine house offers a casual setting for drinks and the opportunity to take in the site of two enormous carefully restored boilers.
The walls are surrounded by the original pipes and valves that sent steam to the autoclaves and boiling water to showers and laundry.
Upstairs offers a dining area with views of Quarantine beach and there is also the option of outdoor dining.
The second restaurant, Views, is specifically for overnight guests and is situated in the second class precinct and offers views of bushland and Sydney Harbour.
The Q station offers 75 rooms and 6 cottages for accommodation. Many options and services are available for guests to choose from.
If Guests should choose the premium service they can have the buildings that their rooms are located in made totally private and they can enjoy their own chef / butler service in their own dining room.
To ensure the site is maintained Mawland Group and the minister for the environment have established rules.
“They have a lot of rules, many of which are annoying for people who work here” laughs Schwerdt, “but all of them are geared towards making sure this place is maintained as a museum and a heritage site.”
The Q Station is listed on the National Estate, along with the Sydney Opera House, one level below World Heritage significance.
Defiance had its full launch on May 14.
Defiance will run: Thursday & Friday 8.00pm, Saturday 2.00pm and 7.30pm and Sunday 5.00pm.
The prices are $65.00 for an adult and $52.00 for a concession or choose the dinner and Defiance package at $115 per head.
Visit www.qstation.com.au for more information
copy right - ablereporter
| 186 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
