20 years for Riverside

March 4: The Riverside Theatres in Parramatta has helped revitalise the arts in western Sydney. On March 15, the theatre celebrates 20 remarkable years....

In the 20 years since it opened, Riverside Theatres has become the busiest performing arts centre in Sydney outside of the Opera House, with over 700 shows and events each year.

It bridges the gap between the outer suburbs and the city, and has become a major success story - presenting entertaining productions in comfort and safety on a constant basis.

A celebratory concert, hosted by The Wharf Revue’s Jonathan Biggins, will be held on Saturday, March 15 to celebrate 20 years of Riverside entertaining Greater Sydney. Stars from past shows will return and perform alongside stars of the future, in a grand variety show which will showcase Sydney’s best.

"In 20 years, Riverside Theatres has become a vital part of the lives of the people of Parramatta, a home to the Sydney Festival, the Writers Festival, the Big Laugh Comedy Festival Attractions and Western Sydney Dance Action. But increasingly, it is also a home to theatre, and dance and music produced by our artists living in Western Sydney," said Parramatta Lord Mayor, Councillor Paul Barber.

"Riverside answered an urgent need for cultural facilities in this region and, especially under the recent imaginative leadership of Robert Love and his team, it has gone on to build broad audiences from here and well beyond Parramatta. I congratulate him and the staff, past and present, who have made Riverside such a happening venue and such an integral part of the wider Sydney theatre performing arts scene."

Located on the banks of the Parramatta River, Riverside Theatres is nestled in the midst of the Church Street restaurant precinct. A Bicentennial Project, Riverside Theatres opened in 1988 by Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Premier Neville Wran. It now presents the best shows in the best theatre in the geographic and demographic heart of Sydney.

“I had a vision for my ‘baby’ – the Parramatta Bi-Centennial Cultural Centre,” said Les Currie, Riverside’s first theatre venue manager.

“20 years later I am thrilled to see that Riverside Theatres has achieved what I aimed for then - a thriving, diverse and exciting arts centre, one of the best in the country, in touch with its community and serving it proudly.”

There are three venues under the one roof: Rafferty’s Theatre, an intimate studio space that seats around 100 people; the Lennox Theatre which is a flexible space seating up to 240 people; and the largest theatre, the Riverside Theatre, which can house up to 761 patrons and has hosted some of the greatest talent in Sydney including Russell Crowe, Reg Livermore, The Goodies, Barry Humphries and Aunty Jack (Grahame Bond).

"If Sydney boasts a better room to listen to mildly amplified music than the Riverside Theatres, I look forward to discovering it. From the Irish folk of Lunasa to the fado of Mariza, from the cabaret of Judi Connelli to the trans-world Tunisian fantasies of Dhafer Youssef, everything sounds warm, clear and immediate," said John Shand, in The Sydney Morning Herald.

Larger scale productions including international acts are often seen on the Riverside stage including Shakespeare, comedy, drama, ballet, contemporary dance and musicals.

Riverside’s emergence into the theatre scene was marked by its first production of a classic Australian musical The Sentimental Bloke based on the poems of C.J Dennis and starring Grant Dodwell and Angela Toohey. Since 1988 Riverside has hosted The Rocky Horror Show starring a young Russell Crowe, Big Sister starring Reg Livermore, a long list of Sydney Theatre Company productions from The Crucible to Ying Tong: A Walk with the Goons and the annual The Wharf Revue, Bernard King’s cabaret room, and performances by the Sydney Dance Company, Sydney Symphony, David Campbell, Julie Anthony, June Bronhill, Tim Draxl, the Phillipe Genty Company, Theatre of the Deaf, Toni Lamond, Lorraine Bayly in David Williamson’s Birthrites, Belinda Giblin and Cornelia Frances in Steaming, and the Australian musical Bran Nue Dae.

“I’m privileged to have played Ginger Mick in Riversides Theatres first major production The Sentimental Bloke, and over the past 20 years I’ve been fortunate to watch the theatre grow into one of the most important venues in Australia, presenting a heady mix of all the performing arts disciplines with a liberal dose of entrepreneurial panache, allowing for new Australian works to be performed,” said actor Grant Dodwell.

“My enthusiasm in 2008 has reached new heights as Steady Lads join forces with Riverside Theatres to co-present Don Reid’s award-winning play Codgers at Riverside then touring NSW in 08 and nationally in 09. Happy Birthday Riverside!”

The Riverside Theatres audience is composed of patrons from all across the Greater Sydney area: from the immediate Parramatta area, the Hills district, north shore areas, south western Sydney, the inner-west and the Blue Mountains.

“The people of Sydney have truly embraced Riverside Theatres making it one of the most successful entertainment venues in Australia,” said Robert Love, Director of Riverside Theatres since 2000.

“We look to the next 20 years with great anticipation where we will see the Parramatta area come alive with expansion and population growth and Riverside Theatres will be there to provide the community with the performance and cultural events it craves.”

Hosted by The Wharf Revue’s Jonathan Biggins, the March 15 concert will celebrate the diversity of programming that has been a major part of Riverside Theatres, from Opera to Shakespeare, comedy to dance, this event will feature the best of the best of 20 years.

“The Anniversary concert will be a once in a life time event,” said producer Camilla Rountree.

“We have been able to secure great performers for the concert including the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Opera star Shu Cheen Yu, Mary Schneider and the best of community performances."

The Riverside Theatres 20th Anniversary Concert is at the Riverside Theatre on Saturday, March 15. Bookings: (02) 8839 3399.