The Royal Croquet Club lives on for another year! The announcement came last night that the venue will launch again in 2016 and remain at the Victoria Square site, however by 2017 it will have to find a new ‘home’.
The Royal Croquet Club has done a lot for Adelaide and its reputation as a cool place with exciting things happening, but it hasn’t been without its critics or issues. From the grass, to the noise and the bricks and mortar venues in Adelaide complaining that the RCC has taken their business away during what would normally be one of their busiest times of year, it really has gotten a bad rap from a lot of people.
The Croquet Club was a hub for activity at night.
On the flip side, the venue has also brought life to Victoria Square (despite taking that of the grass – we had to go there) and transformed what would normally be a fairly inactive space into a hub of buzz and activity. From the 50 Fringe shows at the 7 different venues within the RCC, to multiple different food stalls and cool bars, not to mention the 120,000 people they got through the gates last year, there was always so much happening. When you drove past the giant (and they really were giant) man and woman holding their croquet mallets, looking all sophisticated and inviting, you couldn’t help but feel a little proud that Adelaide had put together something so unique, fun and awesome. And when we say Adelaide, we mean the Royal Croquet Club founders Tom Skipper, Stuart Duckworth and Sam Weckert who just also happen to be the amazing brains behind The Little Miss Group (i.e. Little Miss Mexico and The Crab Shack) – but you probably already knew that, this is Adelaide!
Anyway, whichever side of the white picket fence you sit on, you have to admit that the RCC has done good things for our city! And that leads us into the news that has come out last night – the Royal Croquet Club WILL return to Victoria Square in 2016.
The issues with the venue being held at Victoria Square were apparently what brought on the motion to try and have it moved or banned from the square next year. The point has definitely been made that there has never been an issue with the event itself but rather that the event was being held at the public space of Victoria Square.
A few other issues did make the list and some special requirements for RCC 2016 were put forward. It was suggested that there be no entry fee as there has been previously. It was free to get into the venue unless it was after 8pm Friday or Saturday, in which case there was a $5 cover charge. The closing times also came under review, with the suggestion that there be a lockout from 1am on Friday and Saturday nights, and for the venue to close by 2am Friday and Saturday nights.
RCC doing its thing during the day.
In what could be deemed as an act of standing up for the Royal Croquet Club and just being genuinely mature about the whole situation, Co – Director, Stuart Duckworth stood up in the meeting and said that after the RCC in 2016 is held at Victoria Square, they will move the venue to a new site thereafter.
The Royal Croquet Club 2016 will run as it has in the past, however it is understood that it will be smaller in size.
So that is a win for the Royal Croquet Club but more importantly a win for Adelaide, because there is no doubt that the event/venue is vital to the ongoing success of the Fringe Festival, as well as the growth of Adelaide as a must visit destination to those from interstate and overseas.
We look forward to checking out the Royal Croquet Club in 2016 and seeing what the boys come up with in 2017 when the RCC moves ‘house’.
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