"Play it Safe"

21 October 2023

4 mins 21s

Australia's open.

Construction of Sydney's iconic Opera House began in 1959 and was supposed to take four years and cost A$7m, but actually ended up costing A$102m and taking fourteen years to complete. It's hardly surprising then that there were an awful lot of naysayers when it was opened fifty years ago in 1973. So, were they right? Was the Sydney Opera House a tremendous waste of money?

This question is answered in spectacular style by this wonderful celebration of the building, and the commitment to the arts that it represents. In a world more inclined to value commerce than art (and often confuses the two), it is increasingly difficult to persuade people of the importance of backing artists and the work they produce. Comedy performer Tim Minchin gloriously satirises the position of those who would rather settle for entertainment with a proven record then take a chance on something experimental. And, in doing so, in a performance perfectly captured by director Kim Gehrig, he encapsulates what the Sydney Opera House, and arts venues like it around the world, are all about.

If any one person, no matter how devoted they are to the idea of a fully diverse arts offer, were to contemplate a full year of events at the Sydney Opera House and fail to identify something that they absolutely would not want to watch then those responsible for curating its output wouldn't be doing their jobs properly. This may seem a contentious idea, but it's true. For arts to exist at the cutting-edge, they cannot and should not appeal to everybody, And if we are sufficiently open-minded, we will find ourselves able to celebrate the existence of art that we do not enjoy... simply because others do.

These ideas run powerfully through Minchin's song, and as Kim Gehrig coaxes his performance to a crescendo, the goosebumps rise and we are reminded in the most visceral way that is so important to take on the powerful Philistines who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Australia

Museums / Entertainment Centres