Revive the Roxy
Restoring Parramatta's grand picture palace as a 1500-seat lyric theatre — a stage worthy of opera, ballet, and the biggest commercial productions.
NSW Government pledges to "save" the Roxy — but our work is not done.
A treasure worth saving
Parramatta's historic Roxy Theatre opened in 1930 — conceived as a grand picture palace with almost 2000 seats and capable of staging live performances. Built in a delightful mixture of Spanish and Mexican motifs, it is one of the largest and most startling of all Australian picture palaces.
In September 2018 a Development Application that would have destroyed all but the 700-seat Dress Circle and Foyer was rejected by the Central Sydney Planning Panel, and an appeal to the Land and Environment Court was rejected on 27 June 2019. This effectively protects the Roxy from further destruction, and preserves the potential for a full restoration to the grand lyric theatre this city deserves.
The Roxy's auditorium can easily be converted back into its original Stalls and Dress Circle grandeur. The possibility of having a large lyric theatre that is also a magnificent heritage building is an unrivalled opportunity — as impressive as the Capitol in Sydney or the Regent in Melbourne.
A grand lyric theatre for Western Sydney
The Roxy Theatre Action Group's goal is to have the theatre fully restored to its original configuration, with the addition of full stage facilities — giving the citizens of Parramatta and the Western Suburbs the opportunity to enjoy big commercial productions, opera, ballet, rock concerts, comedy festivals and multi-cultural events without travelling to the city.
All great cities need their heritage and their entertainment infrastructure. The Roxy — embodying both — is already there.
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