image of person or book cover 2225111080383252402.jpg
Source: Table Talk 21 Sept 1922 16
y separately published work icon In the Army single work   musical theatre   revue/revusical   humour  
Alternative title: Two Stripes; Soldiers
Issue Details: First known date: 1917... 1917 In the Army
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Revusical

Also known as either Soldiers or Two Stripes, this one-act musical review from Nat Phillips sees Stiffy and Mo as orderlies assigned to two American army captains, Fred and Harry. The other characters are Miss Summerville (Harry's aunt), Phoebe (her niece), Miss Jones (a friend of Phoebe's), and Claude Jones (her brother).

The 'musical dispatches' presented during the 1922 production were 'India Again' (Connelly and girls), 'April Showers' (Paul and girls), Nat Phillips's composition 'Palestine' (sung by Roy Rene), 'Welcome Home' (chorus), 'Night of Love' (Davis and girls), 'Any Girl from Anywhere' (Connelly and girls), 'Typical Tipperary' (Connors and girls), 'Swanee River Moon' (Connors and Paul), 'Smiling When You're Crying' (Davis and girls), and the finale, 'Scalped' (the Indians).

Production Details

  • 1917: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 10-16 November (as Two Stripes).

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips (Stiffy), Roy Rene (Mo), Daisy Merritt, Caddy Franks, Horace Mann, Dan M. Dunbar, Peter Brooks, Belle Pollard, Walter Jackson [aka Walter Whyte], Cliff O'Keefe, Vince Courtney; and the Panama Six (including Rosie Bowie, Phyllis Whisken, Dot O'Dea, Gwen Brandon).

    1918: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 9-15 February (as Two Stripes)

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Daisy Merritt, Caddy Franks, Horace Mann, Dan M. Dunbar, Peter Brooks, Belle Pollard, Walter Jackson [aka Walter Whyte], Vince Courtney, Cliff O'Keefe; and the Panama Six.
    • Staged as Soldiers for the return season: 22-28 June.

    1919: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 7-13 June (return season, as In the Army, 20-26 Sept).

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Music Director W. Hamilton Webber; Stage Manager Dan M. Dunbar.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Daisy Merritt, Caddy Franks, Horace Mann, Amy Rochelle, Walter Jackson [aka Walter Whyte], Chester Harris, Dan M. Dunbar, Peter Brooks, Maisie Posner, Jack Dennis; and the Radio Six.

    1920: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 24-30 April (return season: 17-23 July).

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Daisy Merritt (Amelia Summerville), Dan M. Dunbar (Captain Harry), Will Liddle, Lou Harris; and the Radio Six.
    • The company undertook a brief regional tour between seasons, with the return season beginning 10 July. The Age also notes that 'the supporting company has been very much improved' (12 July 1920, p.8). Mike Connors and Queenie Paul joined the troupe at this time. See also At the Club (1920), which had its Australian premiere during the return season.

    .

  • 1921: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 16-22 July.

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Daisy Merritt (Amelia Summerville), Dan M. Dunbar (Captain Harry), Lola Hunt, Belle Pollard, Gerald Cashman, Walter Jackson [aka Walter Whyte], Miss Doff Dee; and the Radio Six.

    1922: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 27 May - 2 June.

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Music Director Charles Ryder; Chorus Rosie Bowie; Business Manager George C. Audley; Costumes Ethel Moar; Stage Manager Dan M. Dunbar.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips (Capt. Harry's Orderly), Roy Rene (Capt. Fred's Orderly), Dan M. Dunbar (Capt. Fred, US Army), Gladys Shaw (Miss Amelia Summerville), Mike Connors (Capt. Harry, US Army), Queenie Paul (Phoebe Bright), Keith Connelly (Claude Jones), Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene] (Miss Jones); and the Radio Six (Gwen Brandon, Rosie Bowie, Thelma Duff, Flo Wilson, Marie McLaughlin, Phyllis Whisken).
    • Details sourced from advertised programe in Fuller News 27 May 1922, p.8.

    1925: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 16-22 May.

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Chorus Rosie Bowie.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Dan M. Dunbar (Capt. Fred), Queenie Paul, Mike Connors (Capt. Harry), Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene], Gladys Shaw, Keith Connolly, Rene Albert, David Lyle; and the Dandy Six.
    • The Age critic reports that there was a 'lack of freshness in some of [Phillips and Rene's] gags and jokes, but [that they were still] very popular with the audience' (18 May 1925, p.11).

    1927: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 11-17 June.

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Daisy Merritt, Jack Kellaway, Alec Davidson, Sadie Gale, Amy Rochelle, Harry Ross, Statler Sisters, and the Six Radio Girls.
    • Musicians Charleston Symphony Jazz Band.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

First known date: 1917
      .
      Extent: 3p.p.
      (Manuscript) assertion

      Holdings

      Held at: University of Queensland University of Queensland Library Fryer Library
      Local Id: UQFL9
      Note:
      Incomplete. Includes lyrics to the song 'Soldier Boy' (Nat Phillips) - 'Spoken by Stiffy and sung by Mo'.
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()

Works about this Work

Empire 1921 single work review
— Appears in: Truth , 18 July 1921; (p. 4)
— Review of In the Army Nat Phillips , 1917 single work musical theatre
Empire 1918 single work review
— Appears in: Truth , 10 February 1918; (p. 6)
— Review of In the Army Nat Phillips , 1917 single work musical theatre
Empire 1918 single work review
— Appears in: Truth , 10 February 1918; (p. 6)
— Review of In the Army Nat Phillips , 1917 single work musical theatre
Empire 1921 single work review
— Appears in: Truth , 18 July 1921; (p. 4)
— Review of In the Army Nat Phillips , 1917 single work musical theatre
VIEW ALL WORKS ABOUT (2)

PeriodicalNewspaper Details

Note:
This entry has been sourced from research undertaken by Dr Clay Djubal into Australian-written popular music theatre (ca. 1850-1930). See also the Australian Variety Theatre Archive
Last amended 10 Jul 2014 07:51:59
Subjects:
  • c
    United States of America (USA),
    c
    Americas,
Newspapers:
    Powered by Trove
    X