Cirrus@Austlit

Revusical.

Revusical.

Revusical.

Arguably the most popular of Art Slavin's revusicals, the story concerns the widow Mrs Casey and her two daughters: Mary (whose hand in marriage is sought by Percy Verisopt) and Norah (desired by Dr O'Bungun). When Percy asks Mrs Casey for permission to marry Mary, she mistakenly thinks he wants to buy their pony. (Much hilarity is said to have arisen from the scene in which Mrs Casey calls forth her daughter and Molly the pony). Meanwhile, two other characters, Doolan and Count de Fuse, propose to Mrs Casey at the same time, which leads to a quarrel. The widow faints and her late husband's ashes are thrown out the window during the ensuing fight. This leads to a duel, first with rapiers and then with pistols. Doolan fires through the count's legs, missing him but hitting Dr O'Bungun, who is stooping over his surgical case.

Revusical-style pantomime.

Presented as second-half entertainiment during Harry Sadler's 1917 Christmas season at Sydney's Princess Theatre, this 'potted pantomime' is said to have had its dialogue written in rhyme. The story also included frequent topical allusions.

Revusical.

Set on the deck of the Saucy Kate, with a cast of characters burlesquing various members of the theatrical and journalist professions, as well as well-known citizens. Characters include Captain Handy Kurr (Andy Kerr, aka 'the Coogee Bunyip', bookmaker and owner of Sydney's Gaiety Theatre), Lieut. Brennan (Martin C. Brennan, vaudeville critic and publisher of Australian Variety), and Kitch Bottomtop (Harry Kitching, editor of Australian Variety).

Revusical.

Revusical.

Although information concerning this revusical's storyline is scarce, Harry Little's portrayal of a Wooloomooloo tough came in for special mention in a review published in the February 1917 issue of the Theatre. Describing his impersonation as having been done 'to a tick', the magazine's variety critic, X-ray, cites the following lines from Loo-ite Blister as he complains about his wife: 'She wouldn't give me a deener... and she had a day's washing yesterday.' One of Jack Kearns's amusing lines, according to the same review, was 'Don't you call me a loafer or I'll have you up on definition of character' (p.46).

In the same production, Elsie Bates and Phyllis Faye played the companion characters Mrs Boko and Mrs Blister, described by X-ray as 'two lairy, shriekingly-funny creations.'

Revusical.

Revusical.

Revusical.

Revusical.

Revusical.

Set in and around Sydney Harbour, On the River is described in the Theatre as:

A one act frivolous frivolity... [which consists of] nothing more than one member of the company after the other coming on in a song, a dance or some patter, varied now and again by the performer getting the support of the chorus or the appearance of Harry Sadler as the comedian with a toy bucket and shovel pretending to shovel sand into the bucket from the bare stage. It is this, together with the view of Pinchgut in the harbour that inspired the title On the River (April 1916, p.35).

One song known to have been incorporated into the narrative, 'At the Movies', was performed by Vera Kearns and a chorus of four Charlie Chaplin girls.

Revusical.

In this production, set in a Sydney boarding house, the cast of characters includes a young army recruit, the boarding house keeper (Mrs O'Flanagan), and various lodgers and local residents.

'The curtain rises on a festive boarding house scene,' records the Theatre magazine in its review of the 1916 Princess Theatre production. 'The guest [is] a young fellow in khaki [who] is going to the front... Then the front-cloth descends. After it comes down Mr Kearns appears in the guise of an Irish M. P. from Goondiwindi (Qld), looking for "an ould friend of mine phwat keeps a Sydney boarding-house - Mrs O'Flanagan."' (March 1916, pp.46-7).

In his search, he meets a number of other characters representing different types of Sydney residents, and, says the Theatre critic:

In that way the audience are provided with a lot of humorously skittish stuff. In turn songs are given by Peter Brooks, Harry Sadler, Cliff O'Keefe, Billy Maloney, Beattie McDonald, Vera Kearns, Violet Elliot and Mr Kearns himself... Finally the front-cloth is raised once more disclosing the boarding house - this time with the lodgers at the table more or less busy on a meal, and the landlady flying about here and there. Then Mr Kearns enters. The keeper of the place, Mrs Flanagan, is the ould friend he is looking for! Then the fun - in which all the boarders participate - follows fast and furious (March 1916, pp.46-7).

Revusical.

A review of the 1916 Princess Theatre (Sydney) production records that 'In the background sat comedian Billy Maloney high up on a bank, with a rod and line in his hand; and as the other members of the company cavorted in the foreground Mr Maloney varied the proceedings by 'landing' such articles as boots and corsets and vegetables' (Theatre March 1916, p.46). Although the magazine's variety editor, X-Ray, gave Maloney and Kearns a positive review, he considered the production to be 'dead' in most other areas.

Revusical.

In reviewing the premiere production of On the Sands at Harry Clay's Bridge Theatre, Australian Variety records:

The Royal Musical Comedy Co opened and as responsible for the 'House Full' signs being out long before the curtain was raised... The whole show was bright and catchy and did not leave one dull moment... The musical items are fresh and attractive and has none of the hackneyed quality of many of the recent revues seen at other theatres lately ... Judging by the reception the revue received, it should have a record run, which it fully deserves, as it is well worth seeing and well worth the trip out for the 'city-ites' after some of the revues that have been produced lately (27 October 1915, p.6).

Although no details concerning the story have yet been located, the 'Synopsis of Events' as advertised in Australian Variety indicate the following scenes: 'Flo and Her Friends Arrive', 'On the Sands', 'Private, Strictly Private', 'Clarence the Sport', 'Somebody's Taken My Togs, I Wonder Who Were There Before?', 'Police', 'The Rich Uncle From Fiji', and 'Everybody Happy'.

The songs used in this production, believed to have been of both original Australian and international origin, were also changed on a regular basis. The Australian Variety review reveals, for example, that all of the songs presented during the opening week were replaced for the second. One of the songs that featured in the revusical was Morley's 'Be a Man, Enlist To-Day!'.

The 1931 revival staged by George Sorlie and his newly formed Vaudeville and Revue Company was reportedly set at Kirra Beach, with the actor/manager in the role of a waiter.