Return to golden cinematic age as historic Raetihi theatre reopens

Raetihi's historic Royal Theatre is about to reopen in a return to the golden age of cinema. Photo / Bevan Conley

Raetihi’s beloved Royal Theatre will soon host its first film screening in more than 40 years.

It is a satisfying milestone for the trust established to care for the theatre, which first opened as a cinema in 1915.

The century-old building has been undergoing repairs and repainting in preparation for the premiere screening of a documentary film by riverboat enthusiast Graeme Moffatt.

Theatre Royal Waimarino Charitable Trust chairman Gary Griffin-Chappel said the inaugural screening of Paddlewheels on the Wanganui was very appropriate as Moffatt had played an essential role in reopening the theatre as a cinema.

“I searched for information on operating a cinema and was lucky to find Graeme, who had just completed the task of restoring Dannevirke’s Regent Cinema to an operational status after it had been closed for 10 years.

“I asked if he would be willing to provide guidance and support with our journey to return the golden years of the movies to the region, and he was.”

Moffatt successfully searched out a suitable second-hand surround-sound system and projector that have been purchased and installed.

“A Raetihi farmer donated seasoned logs, and these were milled at the local sawmill,” Griffin-Chappel said.

“They provided sufficient timber to construct a frame to support a stretched fabric screen, which has now successfully been completed.”

Griffin-Chappel said the trust planned to continue hosting live shows and events at the theatre, but the return of cinema was a strong focus for the trust.

“Copyright costs are too expensive, so we can keep our costs down by screening films that were made more than 50 years ago.

“That harks back to the theatre’s golden era when it was run by the Thompson family, until it closed in the 1980s.”

The theatre was built by John Punch, co-owner of the Bennett and Punch forestry tramline, who wanted his employees to enjoy some entertainment with their families.

Filmmaker Graeme Moffatt's riverboat documentary will be the first to screen at the theatre he has helped to restore. Photo / Leanne Warr

The Royal Theatre, also known as Theatre Royal Raetihi, was designed by Whanganui architect Thomas Battle. It is reputed to be the oldest independently built cinema in New Zealand and the country’s oldest provincial cinema still in existence.

Since the 1980s, it was seldom used until a trust was set up in 2000 to manage it and do restoration work.

Over the next couple of years, a new back wall, stage, staircase and entranceway were built.

From the early 2000s until about five years ago, the theatre was used for live performances by the Phoenix Players, a youth performance group run by Theatre Trust secretary Phyl Cameron.

A donated roof added in the early 2000s turned out to be leaking and rotting floorboards had to be replaced.

The building has a Category 2 heritage listing and is considered to have cultural and historic significance.

Any alterations must comply with the building’s original character, and Griffin-Chappel said that very much lent itself to screening films that had similar significance.

“Along with returning to the original use of the theatre as a cinema, something we want to achieve is to screen Saturday afternoon matinees for the children in the region.

“With the nearest cinemas an hour away north or south, and having spoken with local people, we feel there is a need to bring the cinema back to life.”

Moffatt screened another of his documentary films on the back wall of the theatre in 2015, and Griffin-Chappel said it seemed fitting that his new film would be the first to screen in the refurbished cinema.

Based on the 1967 book by David and Alec Reid, Paddlewheels on the Wanganui tells of the exploits of a Hatrick riverboat engineer who worked on a variety of riverboats on the Whanganui River between 1912 and 1919.

The Royal Theatre opened during the era and was the closest cinema to the area where the boats operated.

The grand reopening of the theatre will occur on Saturday, April 27 at 7pm.

Guests will be treated to the screening of several short films, including the iconic This is New Zealand, before the premiere screening.

* This story has been amended to correct the names of the authors of the book Paddlewheels on the Wanganui.

Liz Wylie is a multi-media journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.