Roxy Community Theatre

About

The Roxy Community Theatre is a heritage-listed cinema, live theatre, theatre, concert venue and meeting venue located at 114-118 Pine Avenue, Leeton in the Leeton Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Kaberry and Chard architects in the Art Deco/Art Nouveau/Spanish Mission style and built from 1929 to 1930 by W. H. Hones for George Conson. It is also known as Roxy Theatre and Big Red. The property is owned by Leeton Shire Council. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 24 February 2006.

The Roxy opened 7 April 1930 and was built for Riverina Theatre entrepreneur George Conson. The architects for the theatre were the noted firm of Kaberry and Chard.

The popularity of the Roxy as a theatre name, imported from America's most famous movie theatre, reflects the importance and worldwide influence of movies and the glamorous American lifestyle depicted in Hollywood films, embraced by Australian society during the 1920s and 1930s inter-war period. The original Roxy Theatre, built in New York in 1927, was the world's largest showcase cinema from this era of theatrical movie palaces. It was established by and named after the master cinema showman himself, Samuel "Roxy" Rothapfel. "Roxy" as a name thus became synonymous with showmanship and dramatic cinema palaces from the boom time era of movies, wherever American cinema, Pop culture, and the theatrical American movie lifestyle became influential, admired and replicated.

The theatre was built by Mr W. H. Jones (sometimes J. H. Jones), with a seating capacity of 1091 on two levels. The Roxy was built in a modified Spanish Mission Style, with large red neon signs that were visible from a great distance at night, owing to the theatre's location on top of a hill. As a result, the Roxy was nick-named "Big Red". These lights were installed in 1933 when a full sized concert stage was constructed to mark its official opening. Australia's celebrated soprano singer, Miss Gladys Moncrieff OBE, was engaged to sing in October 1933, as part of these opening celebrations.

In 1977 the theatre's future was threatened with redevelopment. A meeting was called on 2 June 1977 by the Leeton and District Community Advancement Fund where the theatre's future was discussed including unanimously agreeing that the theatre should be retained as a Civic type building and also should be saved as a picture theatre. On 23 June 1977 the matter on the theatre was discussed further at the Leeton and District Community Advancement Fund's Annual General meeting with extensive investigations made and convinced of the buildings soundness and viability. The theatre was purchased by the community after a massive fund raising drive. $27,000 was raised by the Save The Roxy Committee and it was purchased for $75,000. Ownership was vested in Leeton Shire Council.

The theatre was progressively upgraded to provide a larger stage area and new dressing rooms, with a present seating capacity of 880 people (414 downstairs and 474 in the upstairs lounge area). It is run by a small part-time staff and a voluntary management committee. In addition to showing regular films, the Roxy is now the venue for eisteddfods, discos, high school speech nights and the musical society's annual production. It has been restored to its original 1930s style.

The Roxy is a fine example of an Inter-war cinema designed in a modified Art Deco architectural style with Art Nouveau and Spanish Mission elements. The building is constructed of brick walls, with the primary facade rendered, the roof clad in corrugated iron and timber floors. The theatre has a full size concert stage with the original two levels of seating, a foyer and ticket box area and an integrated shop at the west side. Large red neon lettering for "Roxy" is mounted above the roof parapet in three directions, plus extensive neon lighting on the front facade.

As at 18 May 2005, the theatre is in good condition, although some maintenance required. Heritage Council funding for conservation works to the Roxy Theatre were approved in 1992 for a total of $15,600. In December 2018 the NSW Government announced an additional $3.9 million grant towards a $4.4 million refurbishment of the Roxy Theatre.

The Roxy and associated shop survives virtually intact.

- 1933 – Larger concert stage and dressing rooms constructed. [ citation needed ]

- 1933 – Facade neon lighting and red neon "Roxy" sign installed, and restored in 1992. [ citation needed ]

Leeton Roxy Community Theatre viewed from the corner of Kurrajong Ave and Wade Ave South

As at 18 May 2005, the theatre is in good condition, although some maintenance required. Heritage Council funding for conservation works to the Roxy Theatre were approved in 1992 for a total of $15,600. In December 2018 the NSW Government announced an additional $3.9 million grant towards a $4.4 million refurbishment of the Roxy Theatre.

The Roxy and associated shop survives virtually intact.

- 1933 – Larger concert stage and dressing rooms constructed. [ citation needed ]

- 1933 – Facade neon lighting and red neon "Roxy" sign installed, and restored in 1992. [ citation needed ]

Leeton Roxy Community Theatre viewed from the corner of Kurrajong Ave and Wade Ave South

As at 20 November 2006, The Roxy Community Theatre is a rare surviving example of an Inter-war cinema in country NSW from the heyday era of movies, which demonstrates the importance of "cinema going" during the first half of the 20th century in NSW towns before the advent of television, embraced by Australian society during the 1920s and 1930s.

Dating from 1929, the Roxy Theatre also demonstrates and records the early introduction of American Pop culture into country NSW by the early Hollywood movies shown for the first time in this cinema, by the building function, original theatrical design and its name, which were all modelled on the world's largest showcase movie palace of the time, the original Roxy Theatre in New York of 1927. This early introduction of American Pop culture in the form of Hollywood movies and picture theatres, as represented by the Leeton Roxy Theatre, provided a major new form of entertainment, communication and society to NSW communities, as well as having a significant influence on Australian tastes of the time in architecture, fashion and design generally, language, music and behaviour.

Built in 1929–1933, the Roxy Theatre is a fine example of an Art Deco cinema with Spanish Mission and Art Nouveau elements, which has survived remarkably intact. Of the hundreds of cinemas that once existed in country towns throughout NSW from the height of its popularity and influence, the Roxy now represents one of only eleven surviving country cinemas in the State that retain their original integrity. Designed by the major theatre architects of the time, Kaberry and Chard, the Roxy also illustrates one of only three surviving examples of their collection of work in NSW cinemas. The Roxy Theatre is also especially rare in NSW for retaining its original theatre interiors and spaces on two levels.