OVER coffee in a cafe in Hurstbridge, Reg Evans gave one of his quizzical stares.

I had just made a comment that I thought Kevin Rudd was doing a fair job in steadying the economy and Reg reckoned he wasn't going far enough.

He had something more radical in mind.

He was like that; he loved an argument and put his point of view with all the power and training of the accomplished actor he was.

Reg lived for theatre.

He played many parts in many films and on stage, capturing with uncanny accuracy the character he was portraying. He had rolls in just about every Australian drama on TV from Homicide to Blue Heelers and films such as Mad Max.

His portrayal of Walter Mitty at a bookreading at the Wattle Cafe in Hurstbridge last year had the audience in the palm of his hand, capturing the wit of the character he was playing.

Everyone in St Andrews knew Reg, the cocky little Welshman who during the war played a few first-division soccer games, "because they couldn't find anyone better".

Reg was 81 years old and a mate of mine for 20 of them, good company and an engaging raconteur.

In recent months he was writing a play about the characters of St Andrews, of which there are quite a few, none more colorful than Reg.

He called the play The Hero of Queenstown - a Mock Musical.

Queenstown was the original name for St Andrews, back in the days when it was part of the Caledonian goldfields and alluvial gold was plentiful in the Diamond Creek that runs through the centre of the little township.

Little more than 20 years ago there were characters who fossicked the creek and found enough gold-dust to pay for their beer in the St Andrews pub.

The Hero of Queenstown is scheduled to run for four nights from Thursday in the St Andrews Hall, and the locals have booked it out.

Reg won't be there.

He died on Saturday fleeing the bushfires that engulfed his home.