Early history[edit]
Harvest Rain began in 1985 as a small drama group in New Farm, Queensland, Australia.[3] The founding members of the company were the brothers Robbie Parkin and David Parkin and the husband and wife team Chris Crooks and Judy Crooks. The name "Harvest Rain" was chosen because Chris Crooks liked the word "harvest" and the team felt that the word "rain" softened it.[4] The company initially staged a range of amateur productions and the shows featured a small ensemble of dedicated actors, operating out of the Sydney Street Theatre in New Farm.[5]
In 2008 the company moved to the Mina Parade Warehouse in Alderley and began presenting all its mainhouse productions at QPAC.[6]
Professional productions[edit]
In 2012, the company announced that it was in the final stages of transitioning into becoming a fully professional musical theatre company, the first of its kind in Queensland. Harvest Rain produced Oklahoma! in 2013 as its first fully professional production.[7]
In 2014, the company's first fully professional season included Guys and Dolls starring Ian Stenlake and Daryl Somers, Spamalot starring Jon English, Simon Gallaher, Frank Woodley and Julie Anthony, and an arena production of Cats starring Marina Prior and featuring over 500 performers on stage, making it the largest production of Cats ever staged in the southern hemisphere.[8]
In 2014, the company moved its training, rehearsals, and administration to a building on the north side of Brisbane known as the Hayward Street Studios.[9]
Spamalot won Harvest Rain the Matilda Award for Best Musical or Cabaret in 2014.[10]
In 2015, the company produced The Pirates of Penzance to celebrate QPAC's 30th birthday.[11] The show starred Andrew O'Keefe, John Wood and Nancye Hayes and featured Billy Bourchier as Frederic and Georgina Hopson as Mabel, in their professional debut. The production was directed by Simon Gallaher.
In 2016, Harvest Rain presented an arena production of Hairspray in Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle, with a cast featuring Lauren McKenna, Simon Burke, Christine Anu, Tim Campbell, Wayne Scott Kermond and Amanda Muggleton.[12] An arena production of Grease followed, performed in Brisbane, Newcastle and Adelaide in 2017, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane again, in 2018.[13] In 2019, an arena production of The Wizard of Oz toured Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle in 2019[14] and Sydney in 2020.[15]
Closure and connection with sexual assault charges[edit]
In November 2022, the company (now rebranded as AVT Live), was reported to have cancelled an Australian capital city tour of We Will Rock You: The Arena Experience after Tim O'Connor (company director) and Matthew Dennett (musical director) were charged with a combined 75 sexual assault offences against eight men and boys aged 12 to 29 between 2001 and 2021. Changes to Queensland law allowed the two men to be named in October 2022.[16] They are currently arraigned on bail and awaiting trial and sentencing.
The company closed in November 2022.[17]
Its Hayward Street Theatre is now operated by Queensland National Ballet.