Person - Cec Grivas
CECIL GRIVAS (1931-2019)
In 1951 Cec was in Longitude 49 and Follies Bourgeois; in 1952 he played Johnnie in The Candy Store (his brother Roland played Goon 1) and a Hitler youth in The Germans. A good singer, he performed in Reedy River in 1953 and 1954; he was Seymour in Mother Riba in 1955, but pulled out during the run. One of his last appearances with The Bushwhackers was at Dame Mary Gilmore’s 90th birthday in 1955. With brothers Roland and Milton he established his own group The Galahs which played in the suburbs. Milton, a pianist, also acted with the Richmond Players in the 1950s and produced for the Blacktown Musical Society in the 1960s.
One of seven children to a Scandinavian mother and the owner of the Hellenic Herald, Cec left school at 14. A social activist and CPA member, he wrote for Tribune and edited the Communist youth newspaper Challenge. He trained in aircraft maintenance and by 1958 was an aircraft mechanic at De Havilands Bankstown. After completing a degree at Charles Sturt University (then Mitchell CAE at Bathurst), he lectured there. He then became a jeweller. In 1999 he stood as a Democrats candidate for the seat of Bathurst.
The Grivas family were of interest to ASIO. Cec's younger brother Nadoo adopted the most British surname he could think of -- Ballantyne-Scott -- to keep his job in radio.
Cec Grivas second from left back row, ca 1953
Cec and Audrey Grivas with Kleber Claux (seated)
The Bushwhackers celebrate Dame Mary Gilmore's 90th birthday
Cec Grivas (second from right) rehearsing The Candy Store on the way to Newnes
The Candy Store cast members, Cec Grivas at far right, 1952
