'Defining moment' for city

Source: http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,2828476a6579,00.html

27 February 2004
By DANIEL ADAMS

The coming of Riff Raff is a defining moment for Hamilton, according to the man who has been driving the project.

City thespian Mark Servian's idea for a statue honouring ex Hamiltonian Richard O'Brien, creator of the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show, was approved this week on the back of a $100,000 Perry Foundation grant and $25,000 from city ratepayers.

"This could completely change the way the city thinks about itself," he said yesterday.

"I think this will be marked down as a significant day in Hamilton's history, I really do.
"I think Hamilton is a lot more imaginative and creative than people give it credit for."

He said part of his motivation for the project was to get the city to "in one fell swoop, reconsider its view of itself".

"Time would tell" whether that had been achieved, he said. "It's getting more and more up to speed with its own position in the world anyway."

The bronze statue will be built by Weta Workshop and is expected to be in place on the old Embassy Theatre site by the end of the year.

It will be the first piece of art donated to the city since the Art in Public Places policy was adopted by the council last year. The decision has attracted national media attention.

Mr Servian said he was surprised but pleased at the support from the city council in Wednesday's crucial 12-2 vote.

"I was always fairly confident we'd get it through, but I thought it's be a bit closer."

There were always going to be opponents, he said.

"I'm just glad to see it's such a small minority."