Kalamunda Dramatic Society is over $5,500 out of pocket from its first 2019 season after the collapse of Perth ticketing company What's On Group Ltd. Kalamunda Dramatic Society known as "KADS", is a well-loved community theatre group which has been providing quality, affordable community performances to the Perth Hills since 1969.

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In 2018 KADS moved its online ticketing service to the WA owned and run What's On Group, under the control of Managing Director and Owner John McLeay. At first things seemed to go well, with the only issue being slow payment of ticket proceeds after each season had ended. However in March 2019 KADS had a sellout season with the comedy "Keeping Up Appearances"and raised over $7,000 in ticket sales. The season finished successfully but payment of the collected proceeds was not forthcoming from What's On Group.

 

After repeated contacts with the owner John McLeay, a payment was eventually made of $1,000. A few weeks later after continued pressure, a further payment of $500 was made. This was the last payment KADS received before Mr McLeay took down his website in early May and declined to pay any further amount of the remaining debt. It is understood that Kalamunda Dramatic Society is not the only community organisation to have been affected by the What's On collapse, with other community theatre groups and local clubs also left in a similar position.

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Kalamunda Dramatic Society is a non-profit community group run by volunteers and does not have the resources to pay for legal representation to pursue Mr McLeay for this outstanding amount through the courts. Sadly, the debt also means that the Society is now finding it more difficult to stage the remainder of its 2019 seasons, as the income from one performance season is used to purchase the performance rights, scripts, sets, props, costumes etc for the next. To make matters worse, KADS is in debt from the earlier season, with money paid for performance rights and to caterers as part of meal-included ticket prices now having to be refunded from the Society's own small reserves. 

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KADS Theatre has been a mainstay of the arts and community theatre in the Perth Hills since 1969. The Society runs on the smell of an oily rag and really can't afford to just write this debt off....

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