Cirrus@Austlit

The House That Jack Built was the fourth Frank Dix pantomine to be staged in Australia following his arrival in 1912 to produce Puss in Boots for J. C. Williamson's - the others being The Forty Thieves (1914) and Cinderella (1915). As with the earlier productions Dix collaborated with local or locally-based practitioners, in this instance with music director/composer Victor Champion and writer Harry Taylor. The libretto was also produced with the help of English actor George M. Slater.

Although the critics were mostly impressed with the three hour extravaganza, staged with some 140 juveniles, most of the praise was lavished on the, scenic art, choreography and performances - especially the six actors who were making their Australian debuts. In its review of the opening night the Argus critic wrote:

The nursery rhyme of Jack's simple architectural essay and those who took advantage of it is told directly the curtain rises by pencillings on a huge slate and school children's chorus which follows each item as it is figured. Thereafter all is brilliant extravaganza burlesque ballets, and turns (26 December 1916, p.3).

On the same day the Age review records:

The pantomime season, with all its revelry of color and jest, and its care-free atmosphere of fairyland, is once more with us, and was triumphantly and gorgeously ushered in at Her Majesty's Theatre on Saturday night, when a very large audience gave the heartiest of welcomes to the story of The House that Jack Built. To tell the truth, as is the case with most pantomimes, the story of Jack and of his house was rather obscure. It was almost lost in a maze of rainbow color and a flood of light-hearted music. But that mattered nothing, for the fun was fast and furious and the pantomime went with a swing from start to finish without any trace of first-night stiffness out it, and with its succession of glowing pageants, its bewildering variety of dresses, its novel ballets and stage effects it is probably one of the most successful from a spectacular point of view that has yet been staged for Melbourne audiences (26 December 1916, p.7).

The critic appears to have been largely unimpressed with Victor Champion's score, however, noting that although tuneful, it was "not all that good."

Not surprisingly The House That Jack Built introduced a good deal of patriotic material - notably in songs such as 'Anzac' (presented amidst a khaki attired chorus bearing in their haversacks cleverly devised lighted letters forming the title of the song) and 'Our Boys,' set to a scena revealing the Sphinx, behind which was the deck of a battleship with guns and searchlights in action. 'Our Own Dear Flag' was staged with a chorus of allied flags with the Union Jack and Commonwealth flags unfurled over the footlights, while 'The Dance of Emotions,' portrayed purity, death and the triumph of love.

Revue.

Australia's first-ever revue, Come Over Here was adapted for local audiences by Frank Dix and his production from the original by British writer Max Pemberton and American writer W. Mizner, with the intent being to present a satirical and topical entertainment spectacular based on the popular culture theatre trend currently finding appeal in America, Britain and Europe, but which had social relevance to Australians. The Sydney Morning Herald notes in this regard : '[The] elements of gaiety form the dominating constituents of Come Over Here. This Parisian manner of glancing at the current events of life's passing show, now first brought forward in Australia by the J. C. WilliamsonJ. C. Williamson direction, closely resembles a variety entertainment which becomes less account than the magnificence of its background. Remodelled to local conditions by Mr Frank Dix, the revue was practically a new piece' (22 December 1913, p3).

Further localisation was also specifically incorporated into the Sydney and Melbourne seasons. The Sydney season, for example, saw scenic artist W. Little illustrate a number of local settings (set variously in the past, present and future), including: 'The Farmers' Roof Garden' (with glimpses of Her Majesty's Theatre, St Mary's Cathedral and other familiar objects); 'A Venetian Fete at Manly in 1999'; 'The Aboriginals" (which presented a view of Circular Quay in its virgin state in 1700); 'The First Settlers' (1801); 'The Gold Rush' (1849); and the vestibule of the Hotel Australia, followed by a view of the Winter Garden, looking stately in festival array. For the 1914 Melbourne production some of these scenes were changed to incorporate Victorian settings. One notable change was the 'Venetian Fete', which became 'Henley-on-Yarra' in 1999. A scene from Flemington ('Under the Elms') was also presented, with performers impersonating well-known figures from the state. Other local settings were : scenes of Collins Street (in 1830, 1857 and 1914) ; the Melbourne Exhibition of 1880; 'The Birth of Melbourne' (set to music especially composed by Andrew MacCunn), Yarra Bend Station and Kosciusko (Argus 30 March 1914, p.13).

While the revue's objective was to target high profile Australian personalities, the Sydney debut found itself heavily criticised for being out of date. Hits at former Prime Minister George Reid (1904-05) were presented as examples of this. In one prominent scene, too, ex-NSW premiers C. G. Wade (1907-10) and the recently deposed James McGowan (1910-1913), impersonated by Fred Leslie and Jack Cannot respectively, waged a heated dispute following a motor car accident. The Bulletin also took a swipe at those responsible, proposing that they seemed to be under the delusion that McGowan was still Premier. The Sydney Morning Herald notes, however, that the same scene had some merit. 'Little Australia, a part cleverly played by Gertrude Cremar', writes the paper's critic, 'slipped in between the disputants and exclaimed, "When you've done calling each other names, perhaps you'll do something for me!" This was one of the most appreciated points in the dialogue, newly localised and brought up to date by Mr Dix'. Stung by the criticism Dix quickly introduced more topical matter. By the time the production premiered in Melbourne hits at the current Prime Minister and leader of the opposition were being featured.

A good deal of ragtime music was introduced into the revue, in addition to arias from recent operas and music to accompany current dance crazes like the Tango. Specialist dancers Fred Leslie and Ivy Shilling also staged their 'movement spectacular' called 'The Spider's Web.' This act saw Shilling (representing a butterfly) trapped in a 'colossal circle of gossamer threads' while Leslie, as the arachnid, circled menacingly (in later years the same act was reinterpreted in Australia by such performers as contortionist Hector 'The Human Spider' Napier and dancer Robert Helpmann). Among the revue's biggest musical hits were the songs performed by comedians Daisy Jerome and Jack Cannot. Jerome's specialties included: 'The Press, the Pulpit and the Petticoat', 'Smart, Smart, Smart', 'Do they all go out to see the Sea', 'Popsy was a Singer,' 'Daisy Dip' and 'Row, Row, Row.' Cannot, who 'seemed to be on the stage all evening' found much success with 'That German Band'. Other songs incorporated into the production included: 'Wedding Glide,' 'My Sumurun Girl,' 'Come Josephine in My Flying Machine' and 'Take Me in Your Arms' (Olive Godwin and Charles Stone); 'On the Missouri' (Edith Boulton and chorus); 'Love's Rose' (Edmund Sherras); 'That Minstrel Show' (Charles Stone), 'Dear Little Muff' (Winnie Volt) and Gertie Cremer's 'Little Australia' (ctd. in 'Love's Rose' by Tom Armstrong).

NB: Unless otherwise cited all quotations are from the Sydney Morning Herald 22 December 1913, p.3.