John Wood returns to share his love of the Roxy

Photograph: Roxyphile, John Wood on a previous visit to Bingara, with Roxy theatre’s Manager, Sandy McNaughton.

The Bingara Advocate, Tuesday, May 25, 2010. (Page 1 and page 3).

Additional Photos and story by Anna Rose

One of Australia’s best loved actors, John Wood, was the VIP in Bingara for a special screening on Tuesday night at the town’s Roxy Theatre.

As Australian As, a 10-part series shown on pay TV’s Bio Channel, has featured Bingara and the Roxy Theatre, and the soon-to-be restored Roxy Cafe, adjoining the theatre.

John Wood was one of 10 prominent Australians invited by the Bio Channel to tell the story, event, incident or experience that makes him appreciate what it means to be “as Australian as”.
He said “the human element” behind the building of the Roxy Cafe in 1936, by the three Kytherian Greeks, was what appealed to him. “That’s it for me — the essence of humanity that surrounds the place,” John said.

“And Sandy McNaughton is such a champion of the building. It’s amazing the stuff she has sourced for the restoration project. I am looking forward to receiving my invitation to the opening.” The actor first visited Bingara about five years ago on a national tour with fellow performers in The Club — and fell in love with the place. He’s since been back about four times.

One of Bingara’s distinguished senior citizens, Joan Bull, was at the opening of the Roxy Theatre back in 1936 — and “married the man I came to the theatre with, that night", she told viewers from the big Roxy screen.

Another Bingara local at the screening, Mervyn Hall, was just a gangly 18-year-old kid in 1960, working at the Roxy Cafe alongside the Greek owner, Jim Loulias and his family.

Another local in attendance, Bob Kirk, was saluted for his massive contribution to the project. He and wife Elva, who lived above the cafe for 24 years, “gifted” for a very nominal sum, the majority of original fittings and fixtures being used in the cafe restoration project.

John Wood said he felt the exposure given to Bingara on the Bio Channel would have an impact, although he wasn’t sure of the extent.

“It would be tremendous if the series was picked up by one of the commercial channels, or perhaps the ABC, so it could be shown to a wider audience,” he said.

(More photos of the screening on page 3 [in the Newspaper]).


Out of the Wood-work

By Helen Ganska

From: PerthNow

May 08, 2010

A new series sees John wood baring his love for preserving the heritage.

Actor John Wood remembers the importance of tradition in three stories that are related by their respect for the significance of the past in Foxtel’s Bio channel’s series, As Australian As.

Other eminent figures who share their experiences that shaped their sense of our national identity include sports and business woman, Catherine Freeman, fashion designer Alex Perry, former Australian of the year Professor Fiona Stanley, political journalist George Negus and journalist, public sector employee and author, Anne Summers.

Wood opens the episode standing by his red MG TF roadster car and talks about watching the 1956 Olympics on a TV in a shop window – but struggled to see why he was one of the 10 Australians selected for this project.

“When I was phoned about this project I couldn’t think of things that would make me particularly Australian – but basically they told me to talk about something that interested me – and then there were plenty of things that sprung to mind,” he says.

“The thing that came from it was my interest in preserving our heritage – I would love to do more – maybe a heritage series – it would great be fun to do and now that you mention it I might phone and suggest it.

“There are places that I would like to show people such as New Norcia in WA and Bruce Rock – places that I went to with the play, The Club.”

In Wood’s episode he talks about restoring veteran cars, the naval vessel the Cerberus and the Roxy Picture Palace.

“The two things that really interested me most were the Roxy at Bingara (in NSW) and the Cerberus – two polar opposites in a sense,” he explains.

“Both are very important heritage wise, but one has been preserved (the Roxy) and the other one is in great danger of disappearing (the Cerberus).

“And if one good things comes from watching this series – would be saving the Cerberus – it is a very important ship.

“It is the first flag ship of the Australian navy – and it is the only one left – and in some ways it is understandable as it was obsolete and no longer useful – the lucky thing was that it was sunk in such shallow water in Phillip Bay – and not just towed out and sunk in the Bass Strait – then the only people who would see it would be divers.

“But there are places all over Australia that would be terribly interesting to go to and talk about.”

A line that Wood feels Australians are very good at saying is “so what” when it comes to preserving history.

“I think there is an element of this “so what” attitude in relation to all sorts of things – being in Queensland at the moment (for the David Williamson play, Let the Sunshine), it is a developer’s paradise, and has been for some time, and thinking back to the Joh Bjelke-Petersen time when buildings were surreptitiously knocked down in the middle of the night in protest – that’s part of the so-what attitude,” he said.

“The thing too about driving through hundreds of acres of scrub plains and tearing it all up – it is extraordinary.

“We do have a very laissez-faire and blasé attitude to what we have and what we need to preserve.

“We don’t take these things seriously enough.”

Wood has seen the episode with George Negus and found out a little gem.

“I know George to say hello to – but I certainly knew nothing about his passion for football and I had no idea that he was a champion player as a kid,” he said.

“And an interesting mix of people too.”

AS AUSTRALIAN AS, MON, 7.30PM, BIO