ATOTAL of 37 local production companies owe some RM2.4 million to Istana Budaya.
As a result, the national theatre has blacklisted 20 of them.
Its director-general, Datuk Mohamed Juhari Shaarani, said they were annoyed with companies that pulled out productions at the last minute, with an average of six pull-outs occurring annually since 2012.
“In 2012, 13 plays did not see the light of day,” he said, adding that the companies that were blacklisted also failed to pay their rent and their artistes’ fees.
“Blacklisting is our last resort.
“They have made it difficult for Istana Budaya to find replacements for stage shows, and this discourages visitors, as patrons are turned off by no-shows.
“To make matters worse, some have not settled debts for a decade.”
He said Istana Budaya decided to “shame” these companies on the advice of the Tourism and Culture Ministry’s legal department.
“It is our way of punishing irresponsible parties who take us for a ride.”
Juhari said Istana Budaya would be more stringent in screening companies that planned to stage plays.
“Only productions with a good track record will be entertained.”
He said the companies that owed them produced mostly Bahasa Malaysia plays.
“The companies we blacklisted are first-timers at the national theatre. They depend on ticket sales, not sponsorship. When the anticipated crowd does not materialise, these companies become indebted and are unable to pay rent and actors’ fees.”
When asked why the national theatre allowed newcomers to use their stage, Juhari said members of parliament had urged the ministry to “give them a chance”.
“Unfortunately, as the ministry has rightly pointed out, these companies do not have good corporate networking, which the big and reputable ones, such as Tall Order Productions and Enfiniti Productions, have.”
Juhari advised new theatre companies to “get sufficient sponsorship” for their shows, before deciding to stage them at the national theatre.
“To make a play, concert or musical a success, companies should be 100 per cent prepared.”
Among the productions taking place in Istana Budaya this year are KRU 25 — The Musical, Konsert Doa Buat Kekasih and the National Symphony Orchestra’s 25th Anniversary Concert.
Istana Budaya’s main hall, Panggung Sari, which has been closed for renovation for the past eight months, will reopen on Feb 8 for Enfiniti’s Ola Bola The Musical.