Happy Returns single work   musical theatre   revue/revusical   humour  
Issue Details: First known date: 1955... 1955 Happy Returns
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Intimate review.

For this revue celebrating Phillip Street Theatre's first birthday, most of the sketches and songs were sourced from the three previous productions. The Sydney Morning Herald critic, A. A., writes that as

'an attempt to re-present the wittier items from past shows... it does not quite succeed. Why? Is this critic just a churlish pedant likely to be bored by humour below the standard of Aristophenes and Moliere? Or has some of the material gone stale with repetition? Or are there no fresh personalities coming along to interpret it with the necessary lean and high spirits?' (14 May 1955, p.18).

According the Herald's review, the highlight was John Meillon 'jerking and throbbing with tremulous frenzy, [providing] an extraordinarily clever comment on Johnnie Ray's brand of exhibitionism; it was more than mere mimicry; it was true and telling caricature'. Special mention is also made of Lyle O'Hara, 'bizarre and grotesque', wailing about the mysteries of Baghdad; Gordon Chater in bib and golden curls, analysing an infant's psychology; and Ray Barrett going into a soft shoe routine on the theme of the Elizabethan Theatre being situated in Newtown.

Production Details

  • 1955: Phillip Street Theatre, Sydney, 13 May - 11 June.

    • Producer William Orr.
    • Cast incl. Lyle O'Hara, Margo Lee, Gordon Chater, Ray Barrett, June Salter, John Meillon, Shirley Sunners, Madge Ryan, Diana Davidson, Terry McDermot, Gordon Walls, John Parker, Norman Coburn.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

In Town Last Night : 2 Theatre Openings - Dance Time 1955 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 13 May 1955; (p. 10)

— Review of Happy Returns John McKellar , Gerry Donovan , 1955 single work musical theatre
Birthday Revue at Phillip St. A. A. , 1955 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 14 May 1955; (p. 18)

— Review of Happy Returns John McKellar , Gerry Donovan , 1955 single work musical theatre
Birthday Revue at Phillip St. A. A. , 1955 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 14 May 1955; (p. 18)

— Review of Happy Returns John McKellar , Gerry Donovan , 1955 single work musical theatre
In Town Last Night : 2 Theatre Openings - Dance Time 1955 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 13 May 1955; (p. 10)

— Review of Happy Returns John McKellar , Gerry Donovan , 1955 single work musical theatre

PeriodicalNewspaper Details

Note:
This entry has been sourced from research undertaken by Dr Clay Djubal into Australian-written popular music theatre.
Last amended 18 Sep 2014 13:24:19
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