City ready to farewell Walkington

Last week the Pilbara News reported on the impending demolition of Karratha's cultural institution the Walkington Theatre.

It's been nearly 30 years since the structure was built in 1986 but soon residents will say goodbye to a theatre that once hosted up to 26 major shows a year and was once graced with a visit by the Australian Ballet company.

The past four years have been a sad affair for the once-proud building, its doors boarded shut after a mould infestation and rain damage from 2011.

Movies and concerts are still shown on the side of the building, much to the delight of former theatre manager Pippa Davis, whose tenure from July 1999 to 2006 fitted in with the establishment of the outdoor theatre.

"We had to make sure there weren't too many kangaroo droppings before each show on the grass," she said.

"We played Lord of the Rings once and there was a scene inside the mountain with all the goblins, and it was really scary and all these fruit bats flew across the screen, it was just magic."

In an average year Mrs Davis said there were 217 events held at the theatre from meetings and seminars to movies, school graduations, recitals, live shows, cyclone briefings and, of course, major and minor stage shows.

"I always loved doing the Melbourne comedy festivals because we'd sell out several nights which is more than any other venue in the State," she said.

The theatre was a stage for great Australian actors like Jackie Weaver and Mrs Davis said they made sure the film Rabbit Proof Fence was screened until every school-aged child had seen it.

Another film infamously played at the Walkington was Japanese Story.

Filmed in the Pilbara and starring Toni Collette, Mrs Davis said punters would shout at screenings when they saw familiar streets in the movie.

The theatre also hosted Perth International Arts Festival Shows and youth festivals.

Mrs Davis said it seemed like the Walkington was the centre of town.

"I had some people say to me if they didn't have the theatre they wouldn't like living in Karratha as much," she said.

With only three full time staff, a society of volunteers called the Friends of the Theatre ran the bar, manned the pullies and put money back into the facility, such as the $20,000 purchase of the outdoor movie screen.

City of Karratha Mayor Peter Long was a member of the organisation and remembered many of the performances at the Walkington from WA pianist David Helfgott to Peter Combe and Opera Australia.

"We had the Australian Ballet come across from Melbourne especially for the Walkington's 20th anniversary in 2006," he said.

"They performed Pirouettes in the Pilbara, the first time the main company has performed in regional WA in what was a real coup for Karratha."

The most memorable occasions for Mr Long were the Karratha Variety Concerts organised by high school English teacher David Eassie and his wife Annette.

"The audience got to see local bands, comedians, pianists, dancers, singers and actors do their stuff, he said.

"We could never fit the audience in - it was standing room only - and people loved it."

Emergency services got their fair use out of the theatre too.

Karratha State Emergency Service Unit manager Trevor Patton said it was a magic venue with lots of nooks and crannies for hiding people in simulated earthquake exercises.

"We'd do it without any lighting, teams would have to work to get people from elevated areas and lower them down by rope systems on to stretchers and evacuate them out to waiting ambulances," he said. Former Karratha resident Ebony Swetman spent much of her time at the Walkington Theatre as a teenager taking part in youth theatre workshops, including summer acting programs with the National Institute of Dramatic Art and the Black Swan Theatre Company.

"I have fond memories of the theatre in Karratha; it was a place where any young person in the Pilbara could come and be creative and develop their passion for acting, singing or dancing in a welcoming space," she said. "A lot of great careers in theatre started at the Walkington, so I think it will be missed but remembered well."

Soon the theatre will be no more and Karratha's future hopes for an arts centre rests on the development of the $55 million Karratha Arts and Community Precinct.

The project scope includes a 450 seat theatre, foyer, amphitheatre, library and roof top terrace.