Samuel French changes Australian representative?

Stage Whispers has reported that ORiGiN Theatrical has announced that they will be the Australian (and NZ) representatives of Samuel French from 1st Jan 2012. Link here: http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/node/8017

SPAM Removed

I'll come out and say it, although I doubt that I am not the only one thinking it. Good.

Why? Because they have a habit of granting permission to companies to perform plays etc then subsequently withdrawing that permission. For a company that is meant to be looking after the interests of various playwrights and composers and protesting their reputations, they are fast becoming the Alan Joyce of Australian Theatre. That's why. D.

Doesn't help... There is also the case of the local club who found the play they wanted to do from the American Sam French website, worked out the rights based on that website, then got a shock when the Australian rights were more than three times in $AU what they were in $US, even though the $AU was stronger than the $US, so they complained to the author, who complained to Sam French... It will be interesting to see what the prices are like under ORiGiN...