Mystery donors rescue Basel theatre
Basel at last has a new theatre, after a 25-year wait and a behind-the-scenes mystery owing more to Agatha Christie than to the Shakespearian tragedy chosen for its inaugural performance.
The story of adding a third auditorium to “Theater Basel” goes back to the 1970s, when it was proposed to build a 500-seat theatre alongside the two which had just opened.
A competition was organised to choose the most suitable architectural design, but very soon the curtain opened on a long-running drama enacted by supporters and opponents of the project.
After years of debate, the stage seemed set for constructing a new auditorium when the Basel city authorities offered SFr11.5 million ($6.9 million) towards its cost. Unfortunately, this was SFr9.5 million short of the estimated total, and it was feared that the private sector might not come forward with the extra cash needed.
But as with all good theatrical stories, the plot took a dramatic and unexpected twist, which led to a happy ending.
Financial angels
A group of local women came forward with a SFr7.5 million contribution to the building costs, and this paved with way for other sponsors to bring the financial target within reach.
The “fairy godmothers”, or “Ladies First” as they’ve been tagged by the Basel media, have never revealed their identity to the public. Nor is it known how many of them there are, although reports have indicated that no more than 10 women are the mystery benefactors. However it is safe to say that they are financially well-off.
“It’s a happy end to what could have been a tragic story,” says Michael Schindheim, director-general of Theater Basel, “a story which would still be going on were it not for the intervention of the ladies.”
The new theatre, known as the Schauspielhaus, supplements a larger auditorium for opera, ballet and large-scale productions, and a smaller one for more intimate theatre. Its design – by Basel architects Schwarz, Gutmann and Pfister – has already been applauded by theatre professionals and future playgoers because of its adaptability, making it suitable for almost any kind of production.
A new version of Hamlet was chosen for the inaugural performance, with the title role played – of course – by a woman.
by Richard Dawson
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