WATCHING a panto with a share box of Maltesers with her mum is the earliest memory Laura Robertson has of the Jersey Opera House.
Now a week into her new role as interim chair of the historic theatre, the Jersey-born lawyer has come full circle from her time as a young spectator to a mum wanting to revitalise the venue for other families to create long-lasting memories like hers.
Having only joined the Opera House board eighteen months ago as one of five new non-executive directors, Mrs Robertson has now become the third interim chair of the Opera House in 2025, which she admitted could have looked concerning from an outsider’s perspective.
But she explained that she and her fellow board members were under no illusion that her interim chair predecessors, Dave Chalk and Cyril Whelan, intended to step aside from the start of the new board’s creation.
“You see the tip of the iceberg and not everything that’s going on underneath,” Mrs Robertson said.
“So, I can completely understand that with very limited information, especially if the only information you’re getting is of a negative bent, it’s really hard to maintain optimism about the building and its future.”
She explained that Mr Whelan’s thirteen years on the board exceeded the nine-year limit, which had to be especially authorised by the Jersey Appointments Commission, meaning a handover was inevitable.
“We always knew when we came onto the board, that the intention was for them to step down,” Mrs Robertson said.
She added: “Maybe that handover should have happened when Dave stood down, and when we knew Cyril was going too, but I think he took it [the interim chair role] with the most positive of intentions to see that building open, and then step away as we were all expecting.
“But life isn’t perfect, so I completely appreciate a 13-year commitment to the Opera House is not something to be sniffed at all.”
Keen to iron out any of those lingering concerns ahead of the theatre’s formal reopening in the autumn following £12.7 million public funding for refurbishment, Mrs Robertson was all but negative about the future prospects of the Opera House.
Having sat on various arts and cultural charity boards in her career, both in London where she worked as a lawyer and in Jersey when she returned eight years ago, she has plenty of experience to assist her in leading the charge of preparing for talent to walk the stage again in the theatre’s significant 125th anniversary year.
Although she applied to join the board last year during maternity leave and now has two young children and a full-time job to juggle with what she called “a big job” as chair, Mrs Robertson is determined to not see a fourth interim position appointed anytime soon.
And her plan is to keep things as they were, even though she said some may assume the reset button will be pressed with her appointment.
“What we can’t do as an organisation is a full-scale reset,” Mrs Robertson said.
“We are opening in the autumn and as you can imagine there’s a lot of work to do. We’ve got a fantastic team who are doing all they can to get the doors open with a fantastic programme, so it’s about focusing on that, pulling the team together, and making sure that we’re all on the same page.”
And as one of only three existing board members, including Ryan Williams and former Chief Minister Kristina Moore, togetherness will be vital in the coming months.
An aspect she said had been crucial for the redevelopment of the venue was public and government support.
“We can’t thank the government enough for what is, let’s be frank, a sizable investment in the building,” Mrs Robertson explained.
“People have views on whether they think it’s the right amount of money or if it’s enough, but it’s fantastic to see the Opera House back and looking glorious inside.”
And as widely reported, Mrs Robertson concurred there is still a way to go, and more money is needed to see the venue fully modernised and equipped to stage large-scale productions.
Technical upgrades, including lighting and sound systems, are estimated to cost an extra £2.5 million. Thanks to private and public support, the theatre charity is part of the way to reaching that goal.
“It will be a phased approach [to tech upgrades].”
“When doors open on day one there’s not going to be two-and-a-half-million-pounds worth of new kit in there, no surprises there,” Mrs Robertson continued.
“So, it’s not going to be where we would have all loved it to be. But we’re realistic that upgrades are expensive and we are a charity. But we’re still really excited that what we can present are things that people will enjoy.”
More fundraisers, such as a silent auction and a gala at Government House tonight [Saturday 28 June] will increase that amount. The return of the ‘sponsor a chair’ initiative and annual membership will also contribute to the future sustenance of the building, she explained.
On the topic of the future, and even in her first week as interim chair, Mrs Robertson said she’d “love to be that person” if the permanent position was offered to her.
“I’ve got a lot of feeling for that building and assuming it fits in with my life, I would love to be able to stand and say I’m the permanent chair of the Opera House,” she said.
She also said she had recently met with Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, who has led the government support of the renovations – and that he was “very supportive” of the board changes made.
Another change in discussion, and also widely questioned, is the transferral of a permanent lease to the Opera House Ltd from government so it can manage and maintain the building in future.
Explaining their current position, Mrs Robertson said the company has a six-month licence for the building which will expire in November. Though she couldn’t go into detail, she said ongoing discussions with government and the Charity Commissioner should result in “a brilliant outcome” for the building.
“The last thing anybody wants, is in twenty years’ time to be back where we were pre-COVID with a building that is leaky, has issues and needs this level of investment [£12.7 million],” she said.
“The main thrust of those discussions is making sure that does not happen again. There has been a proposal that we’re all in agreement with, and it just needs to go through the stages of getting to where it needs to be,” she explained.
“Once that has happened, the long-term future of the building will be really secure.”
Mrs Robertson added that when she joined the board in late 2023, she learned that previous boards had been calling for a permanent lease for the theatre, to no avail – meaning any permanent lease will be understood to be the first for the company.
“I suppose at the moment, even under licence, we’re in a better position than we have been ever,” she said.
But more is yet to be done to get the theatre in a position to reopen, such as recruitment, including on the board. She said they are hoping to recruit up to three more members very soon.
Another topic at the top of the agenda is to get tickets sold and bums on seats, something they can look forward to this year which Mrs Robertson said was only possible with the public’s support.
“The government investment is taxpayers’ money,” she said. “So, we have to thank government and everyone on the island for the support the Opera House has had. Without it, we wouldn’t be opening.”
Looking ahead to that autumn day when they can officially welcome audiences in, Mrs Robertson added: “I’m just really keen to get people back through those doors so they start sharing Maltesers again.”
“I guess it’s watch this space. We’ve got a really exciting chapter coming.”
To view the growing programme of events set for the Opera House stage later this year, head to www.jerseyoperahouse.co.uk