It’s a little hard to believe, isn’t it, that thieves would clumsily break into Victoria Hall, central Freo, and steal items important to the present and future operations of Freo’s beloved Fremantle Theatre Company.
Unfortunately, everything about this theft tells you it was not at all clumsy, but very targeted, not an opportunistic one following a random break in.
It appears the thieves entered Victoria Hall last Tuesday or last Wednesday night by climbing over the back fence or gate. The gates were locked but the fence has been climbed over before from Phanos laneway. They attempted to break into a high window that looks onto the stage but Pippa Davis, the Fremantle Theatre Company’s General Manager, thinks they must have decided it was too difficult so they sourced a piece of metal that looks like a table leg and broke the back door. That is toughened glass so it would have taken a substantial effort. Then they manoeuvred the end of the metal leg to hook the door handle down. It is a fire door and can’t be locked from the inside.
Once inside the thieves went onto the stage, located the controls for the chain motors, turned on the 3 phase power and lowered the grid. They then dropped all the moving lights and the 4 speakers. They went up to the balcony and got the sound mixing desk and the lighting desk. The two bigger lights have a dual roadcase that was in the rehearsal room. That has gone too so, Pippa reasons, they must have gone looking for it.
To exit they went out the emergency exit on the east side and pushed out the gate at the front, all of which cannot be locked from the inside as they are emergency exits. One assumes the thieves would then have loaded up on High Street into a necessarily large ute, van or small truck to fit it all in.
The list of gear gone is:
* Light Shark LS1 Lighting console – 8 universes plus gooseneck lamp
* Allen and Heath ZED-24 Mixing desk with roadcase
* 8 x GLP Impression FR1 Wash with Micro Fresnel lens all with black trigger clamps
* 2 x TourPro Aurora V6 LED Profile 550W with trigger clamp and with Dual roadcase
* 1 x TourPro LED Wash 600w and trigger clamp
* 4 x Yamaha DSR 12” speakers with slings and shackles for hanging
The total value of the stolen equipment is $39,000, so not insignificant for an independent theatre company.
Pippa Davis has reported the theft to the Police and has also let folk know via a Facebook post on Freo Massive. She hopes someone may have seen a vehicle on High Street near Victoria Hall on Tuesday or Wednesday nights, as that is when the theft must have occurred. There is a CCTV on the street, but it seems to be focussed on the bus stop on the opposite side of the road so no help.
The response has been huge with people sharing the Facebook post and Pippa has been contacted by people with offers of gear in the short term for loans but fortunately FTC have nothing that needs it at the moment. The venue is too hot for most people over the summer so does not get used a lot November to March. FTC are really grateful for the offers and for the messages of support that have come in.
Pippa has provided us with these pics of the dealers photos of some of the gear.
Pippa says the Auroras are 795mm high and weigh 31 kg each, so not small! You usually need two people to hang it as it is an unwieldy beast and can be temperamental if knocked about. In the roadcase they are over 64kg if you include the weight of the case. The GLP’s are smaller – 19.5 x 14cm x 35.3vcm and weigh 4kgs.
Speakers are 21kgs, 638mm high x 370 W and 368 D and there were 4 of them.
If you can help be in touch with Pippa Davis at FTC by email at Pippa@fremantletheatrecompany.com or by telephoning the WA Police at Fremantle on +61 894301000.
* By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping Mews
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