The outgoing leader of Albury-Wodonga’s HotHouse Theatre uses this joke to illustrate the varied nature of his role over 4½ eventful years.

His term coincided with some of the company’s darkest days when funding issues threatened its very existence.

HotHouse not only survived this turmoil but is now celebrating increased audiences, community engagement and critical success, a position that many attribute to Halpin’s leadership.

At the 2015 season launch this week, the group looked forward to the future under new artistic director Lyn Wallis, but there was genuine sadness over Halpin’s departure and appreciation of his legacy.

Halpin, who finishes next month and is moving to South Australia with wife Kellie and children Lily, 5, and Fletcher, 18 months, for family reasons, says his efforts have not been solo.

“Everyone who works here has such passion for the place, you can’t buy that,” he says.

“No amount of money will give you that; it’s about having the belief in the company and we’re very lucky to have a group of people who believe wholeheartedly in it.”

Albury-Wodonga became almost a second home for the then Queenslander from 2006 when he directed two separate plays at HotHouse.

“I was really impressed with what level of production values could be created in this place that was a factory that’s been turned into a theatre,” he says.

The range of arts and culture on the Border also attracted his attention, which led to his application to become artistic director in 2010.

Appointed as a joint chief executive officer, Halpin later found himself alone in that role and so became responsible for matters financial as well as dramatic.

“So there’s been a lot more time with Excel spreadsheets and looking at insurance policies and compliance and board reports and all sorts of things that aren’t usually part of the artistic director’s role,” he says.

In a difficult climate, two years ago HotHouse reached “make or break” time.

“It was a pretty harrowing year 2012,” Halpin recalls.

“We didn’t have a general manager, we were on notice from all the funding bodies, we had no money and so we were having to introduce things to get people excited but we couldn’t spend any money on them.

“That’s probably a year I’d love to forget, but never will.”

A corner was turned because Border residents came back to the theatre, willing to support a company prepared to offer something different.

“I thought no, we will stick to new Australian work and we will do stuff of high artistic value that challenges audiences and takes them on a journey that’s sometimes dark, sometimes light but always taking them somewhere so they come out a little bit changed,” Halpin says.

“People really got behind it.

“I think there was a perception that people felt we were back in the community a bit,” he says.

HotHouse board chairman Paul McGill says Halpin has shown inspired leadership, especially during that difficult year.

“Without him the company probably would have folded,” Mr McGill says.

“He’s had to be incredibly resilient.

“You don’t always choose the timing or position, it’s what you do with that.

“He’s embraced the challenge and credit to him.”

At Wednesday’s launch Mr McGill outlined several HotHouse achievements during Halpin’s term, including the creation and growth of Black Border Theatre for Aboriginal artists and the Studio Ensemble.

Subscriber numbers have doubled since 2010 and through the in-school programs, student attendance at HotHouse productions increased by 450 per cent over three years. More than 100 people attend weekly drama school workshops and HotHouse has posted two successive surpluses for only the second time in its history.

Mr McGill served on the panel that selected Halpin for his HotHouse role and says this decision has proven insightful.

“No doubt Jon was a very talented director,” he says.

“We saw potential in him in terms of stepping up as the artistic director of a professional theatre company.

“He came in as a good theatre director, but he leaves HotHouse as a cultural leader.

“He’s made an enormous contribution.”

Albury Council group leader cultural services Jacqui Hemsley says she’s a fan of Halpin’s work and will watch his future career with interest.

“Jon has been an absolute leader in promoting HotHouse to a local and national audience,” she says. “He took it to a whole new level.”

At a time when arts groups across the sector struggled financially and other regional theatre companies shut down, Hothouse flipped its situation.

“He turned it around with great writing, great acting, very strategic programming and he got bums on seats,” Ms Hemsley says.

Melbourne Theatre Company literary director Chris Mead first met Halpin about seven or eight years ago when the latter was championing a new project.

“So I saw him in action, developing a new play,” Mead says. “I saw all his strengths, his passion for Australian stories, love of working with good artists, understanding of new audiences.”

As part of HotHouse’s artistic directorate, a group of industry advocates and advisers, Mead talked regularly with Halpin about the company and wider theatre issues.

Mead says the outgoing artistic director has played a crucial role in reconnecting HotHouse with audiences and the local community.

Ross Sewell, a member of HotHouse’s community consultative group, says Halpin has always been willing to listen to opinions, positive or negative, on the company’s output.

“The shows have been gradually getting better and better and better,” he says.

“In the first season there were a few shows audiences didn’t really warm to but since then all the shows have been extremely popular.

“He’s chosen shows that are stimulating as well as right on the cutting edge. What people want as well as pushing it a little bit further.”

Mr Sewell, a drama teacher with 25 years’ theatre experience, says even challenging productions, such as this year’s The Motion of Light in Water, proved enjoyable to audience members.

“They said they got a bit lost, but were still happy to be there,” he says.

Longtime HotHouse supporter Margie Benbow (“almost from day dot”) says Halpin carried on the stewardship begun by the previous leaders of HotHouse.

“It will continue to grow because of people like Jon at the helm,” she says.

“He’s been here at an interesting time for theatre when it really had to fight for its place.”

Ms Benbow thinks her first memory of Halpin comes from when he directed The Messiah at HotHouse in 2006, before he returned to lead the company.

“I loved that particular connection and looking at Jon as the next prophet to come into HotHouse and bring good news, bad news, great stories,” she says.

“I thank him tremendously for the diversity of theatre he’s brought to the region.”

Many people have passed through HotHouse since it began more than 17 years ago, but operations manager Rob Scott has been a constant presence.

“One of the strongest reasons it survives and prospers in the industry is that it’s part of a really big network of artists and producers,” he says.

Speaking in the midst of organising technical details of Wednesday’s launch, Mr Scott says he first worked with Halpin the director.

“We really liked his style,” he says.

“He’s a really inclusive director, a real collaborator.”

Mr Scott says HotHouse, which grew out of Murray River Performing Group, progressed rapidly in its first 10 years, but for various reasons this pace slowed in later years.

“I guess you could say there was a plateau,” he says.

“There was certainly a need to reinvigorate the company. Jon came in at a really good time and brought a whole new energy to the place.

“Probably the most important thing is it’s not a one-man band.

“A whole lot of things combined pulled the team together.”

When asked for some anecdotes about the outgoing artistic director, Mr Scott’s response is telling.

“A lot aren’t mostly about Jon but what he’s inspired other people to do,” he says.