The Tennis Club single work   musical theatre   revue/revusical   humour  
Issue Details: First known date: 1922... 1922 The Tennis Club
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Revusical.

Set in a tennis club, this one-act musical comedy revolves around Hector Lip (valet to Lord Colic), who is described in one review as the 'broken-down habitué of the club' (Brisbane Courier 11 April 1927, p.11).

The musical programme for the 1923 Bijou Theatre production comprised the Opening Chorus, 'When My Shoes Wear Out from Walking' (sung by Letty Craydon and chorus), 'A Little Yodelling' (Reg Hawthorne), 'Raggedy Doo' (Ernest Crawford), 'Weeping Willow Lane' (Mona Thomas and Ernest Crawford), 'Here's to Love' (Mona Thomas), 'The Guy that Put the I in Iceland' (written by Norm Byron and sung Jennings and Gerald), 'Pucker Up and Whistle' (Essie Jennings), 'I Want to Rock-A-Bye My Mammy' (Letty Craydon), the finale 'The Tennis Club' (company), and a ballet and solo dance (performed by Polly McLaren and chorus).

'A Little Yodelling' (Reg Hawthorne) was again used in the 1927 Brisbane production, with other songs including 'Gold Fish' (Jim Gerald) and 'Old Gang of Mine' (Ernest Crawford).

Notes

  • Fuller News published the programme for the 1923 Bijou Theatre season of The Tennis Club (13-19 October). It includes the cast, characters, and musical numbers (13 October 1923, p.126).

  • Hector's surname is sometimes given as Tipp.

Production Details

  • 1922: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 2-8 September.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren; Orchestra Leader Harold Vinner.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
    • Cast incl. Jim Gerald (Hector), Ernest Crawford (Tom Trevor), Howard Hall (Harry), Lance Vane (Frederick), Essie Jennings (Bessie), Reg Hawthorne (Lord Colic), Shannon Raye, Winnie Trevail, Polly McLaren (Kitty Joy), and the Six Twinklers (Iris McKenzie, Vera Nixon, Laurel Barrett, Irene Vando, Edna Drake, Myra Rowe).

    1922: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 16-22 December.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
    • Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, Lance Vane, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Winnie Trevail, Polly McLaren, Shannon Raye, and the Six Twinklers (Iris McKenzie, Vera Nixon, Laurel Barrett, Gladys Taylor, Edna Drake, Myra Rowe).
    • This was the final production for Gerald's 1922 Empire Theatre season

    1923: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 13-19 October.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Music Director Fred Whaite; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren; Costumes Ethel Moar; Theatre Manager Ray Fuller.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
    • Cast Jim Gerald, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, Lance Vane, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Mona Thomas (Cush Palmer), Letty Craydon (Norma Reid), Polly McLaren, and the Six Twinklers (Iris McKenzie, Vera Nixon, Kathleen Gillespie, Laurel Barrett, Thelma Duff, Myra Rowe).

    1924: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 8-14 March.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
    • Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Polly McLaren, Ernest Crawford, Lance Vane, Howard Hall, Letty Craydon, Mona Thomas, and the Six Twinklers.

    .

  • 1926: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 17-23 April.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald's Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Polly McLaren, Lance Vane, Mona Thomas, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, Myra Rowe, Betty Lambert, May Geary, Neva Carr-Glynn, and the Six Twinklers.
    • Advertisements placed in the Sydney Morning Herald for 17 and 19 April indicate that the week's revusical was Whips and Quips (the revusical that had been staged the previous week). From 20 April, the The Tennis Club is the advertised show. The earlier advertisements are most likely an error, as the Fullers traditionally used Saturday night to open new shows on their circuit.

    1926: New Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 25 September - 1 October.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Lance Vane, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Polly McLaren, May Geary, Howard Hall, Ernest Crawford, Myra Rowe, Mona Thomas, Betty Lambert, and the Six Twinklers.
    • Iris McKenzie's name is mentioned in several reviews during the Bijou Theatre season. It is unclear at this stage if she had become a member of the cast or was still one of the Six Twinklers.

    1927: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 9-15 April.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald's Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Harry Burgess, Polly McLaren, Lance Vane, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, May Geary, Jack Manners, Betty Lambert, Ray and Dot McLean, Dalton Payne, Harry Payne, Flora McDonald, and the Six Twinklers.

    1927: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 17-23 December.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatre Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald's Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Harry Burgess, Howard Hall, Lance Vane, Phyllis du Barry, Ray McLean, Mona Thomas, Cecil Scott, May Geary, Dot Creswell, Les Pearce, Neva Glynn-Carr, Betty Lambert, and the Six Twinklers.

    1929: Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, 9-15 March.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Phyllis du Barry, Ron Shand, Letty Craydon.
    • Phyllis Du Barry and Lance Vane left the troupe in mid-late March 1928. They were replaced by Lily Coburn and Ron Shand. It is unclear whether either du Barry or Coburn was involved in this season of Not Likely.

    1930: Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne, 7-13 June.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Tivoli Celebrity Vaudeville.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald Musical Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Howard Hall, Jim Foran, Sadie Gale, Tom Dale, Joe Hudson, Ray McLean, Joan Graham, Lily Coburn, Marie Ward, Thelma Duff, Edna Ralston, and the Six Twinklers.
    • Presented along with a feature first-part entertainment, Old Time Minstrels

    1934: Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne, 9-15 June.

    • Director Jim Gerald; Producer Tivoli Circuit Australia.
    • Troupe Jim Gerald's Musical Revue Company.
    • Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Charles L. Sherman, Lou Cottam, Edna Ralston, Lily Coburn, Thelma Duff, Tom Dale, Lance Vane, Frieda Bohning, Vilma Kaye, Robbie Clifton, Will Perryman, Max Reddy, and the Six Twinklers.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

Tivoli Theatre - Jim Gerald in Bright Revue 1934 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 11 June 1934; (p. 12)

— Review of The Tennis Club Jim Gerald , 1922 single work musical theatre
The Empire 1927 single work review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 11 April 1927; (p. 11)

— Review of The Tennis Club Jim Gerald , 1922 single work musical theatre
The Empire 1927 single work review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 11 April 1927; (p. 11)

— Review of The Tennis Club Jim Gerald , 1922 single work musical theatre
Tivoli Theatre - Jim Gerald in Bright Revue 1934 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 11 June 1934; (p. 12)

— Review of The Tennis Club Jim Gerald , 1922 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 (ca. 1850-1930). See also the Australian Variety Theatre Archive
Last amended 1 Jul 2014 07:11:21
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