Keep Laughing single work   musical theatre   revue/revusical   humour  
Issue Details: First known date: 1922... 1922 Keep Laughing
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Revusical.

'The curtain was raised upon an oriental court scene with dancing girls waving palms and moving with sinuous grace for the amusement of the Rajah (Mark Erickson),' writes the Sydney Morning Herald critic:

Bert Le Blanc [Ike Cohen] and Jake Mack [Morris Levi] as the itinerant Jews who land in the precincts of the Rajah's court, and are held captive, succeeded in convulsing everybody with their clownish antics and irrelevant answers to the dignified questions of the Rajah. Evelyn Dudley as Balla, the Rajah's daughter, incurs her father's anger and is to be wed to one of the buffoons and the other is to be roasted alive. When asked the reason the Rajah replies 'Because it gives me pleasure,' and this expression is subsequently used by the victim in other situations with comic effect. Cyrene, the strange white girl (Winnie Knight) easily wins the love of the Rajah but when Levi claims her as his long-lost daughter there is a ludicrous scene as his majesty on bended knee craves the favour of the father's consent (20 November 1922, p.7).

Production Details

  • 1922: Grand Opera House, Sydney, 18-24 November.

    • Director Bert Le Blanc; Producer George Marlowe.
    • Troupe Bert Le Blanc's Big Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Bert Le Blanc (Ike Cohen), Jake Mack (Morris Levi), Charles Delavale, Elvie Stagpoole, Bert Dudley, Evelyn Dudley (Balla), Mark Erickson (The Rajah), Hartley Court, Winnie Knight [aka Mrs Bert Le Blanc] (Cyrene), Dolly McIntosh, Molly Warren, Ernest Barraclough, Fred Garland, Nell Fleming, Dulcie Melva, Tilly Dalbro, Florrie Dalbro, Dot Neville, Germaine Casier, Rene Esler, Florrie Parkes.
    • Bert and Evelyn Dudley's engagement with the Le Blanc revue company for this production marked their first appearance in Sydney for some five years. They were billed in advertising as The Dainty Dudleys.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

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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 18 Aug 2014 12:54:42
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