1920 OH YOU BABY DOLL: [musical playlet] Txt/Mus. [n/e] 1919: Palace Gardens (Bris); 2-8 Jan. - Dir/Mngr. Carlton Max; M Dir. Eric John. - Troupe: Follies Costume Comedy Company. - Cast incl. Carlton Max, Bert Dudley, Evelyn Dudley, Will Rollow, Myrtle Charleton, Lilla Spear, Harry Marshall. THE GENERAL AND HIS ARMY: [revusical] Txt. Walter Johnson; Mus. [n/e] Described in advertising as an Eastern comedy. 1920: Cremorne Theatre (Bris); 10-16 Jan. - Dir. Walter Johnson; Prod/Prop. John N. McCallum (Dandies Qld); M Dir. Fred Whaite; Cost. Mary Glynn. - Troupe: Walter Johnson's Town Topics. - Cast incl. Elton Black, Yorke Gray, Alice Bennetto, Belle Millette, Lou Vernon, Leslie Jephcott, Gladys Raines. TOO MANY WIVES: [revusical] Txt. Harry Burgess; Mus. [n/e]. This revusical deals with the plight of Izzy Getz, who has promised to marry half a dozen women, and is plunged into despair when they all, believing him to be the owner of some prosperous oil wells, appear to claim the fulfilment of this promise. Songs incorporated into the 1920 Fuller's Theatre season included: "When I was a Dreamer" (sung by Ernest Lashbrooke), "Somebody Knows" (Lydia Carne) and "Peaches Down in Georgia" (Hilda Cripps). 1920: Fullers Theatre (Syd); 17-23 Jan. - Dir. Harry Burgess; Prod. Fullers' Theatres Ltd. - Troupe: Harry Burgess Revue Company. - Cast incl. Gus Franks (Izzy Getz), Harry Burgess, Les Warton, Ernest Crawford, Ernest Lashbrooke, Lola Hunt, Florrie Horan, Lydia Carne, Hilda Cripps, Annie Douglas, plus chorus and ballet. "Fuller's Theatre." SMH: 19 Jan. (1920), 9. 2 PEAS IN A POD: [revusical] Txt. Al Bruce; Mus. [n/e] Two gentlemen staying at a hotel bear a striking resemblance, and many ridiculous situations subsequently arise. This revusical was likely to have been staged as early as 1919. [NB: American producer/writer, Al Bruce, toured the Fullers Australian and New Zealand circuits in 1918 with a number of revues/revusicals he had brought with him from the States - notably The Elixir of Love (May 25) and The Back to Nature Club (ca. June). It is likely that by late 1919 the material Bruce was staging were either written while in the region (by Bruce and/or others in his troupe), or as with The Back to Nature Club, had been adapted to include local settings and contained significantly higher levels of local influences than the earlier productions.] 1920: Empire Theatre (Bris); 24-30 Jan. - Dir. Al Bruce; Prod. Fullers' Theatres Ltd. - Troupe: Al Bruce and his Rosebuds. - Cast incl. Al Bruce, Mabelle Morgan, R. Raymond, D'Arcy Kelway, Les Shipp. THE FRIVOLITY GIRL: [revusical] Txt. Harry Burgess; Mus. [n/e] 1920: Fullers Theatre (Syd); 24-30 Jan. - Dir. Harry Burgess; Prod. Fullers' Theatres Ltd. - Troupe: Harry Burgess Revue Company. - Cast incl. Harry Burgess, Les Warton, Ernest Crawford, Ernest Lashbrooke, Gus Franks, Lola Hunt, Florrie Horan, Lydia Carne, Hilda Cripps, Annie Douglas, plus chorus and ballet. TT: Feb. (1920), 26. [rnib] FOR FRANCE: [revusical] Txt. Walter Johnson; Mus. [n/e] Described as a miniature French comic opera. 1920: Cremorne Theatre (Bris); 24-30 Jan. - Dir. Walter Johnson; Prod/Prop. John N. McCallum (Dandies Qld); M Dir. Fred Whaite; Cost. Mary Glynn. - Troupe: Walter Johnston's Town Topics Co. - Cast incl. Elton Black, Yorke Gray, Belle Millette, Lou Vernon, Leslie Jephcott, Alice Bennetto, Gladys Raines. 517 Citations details: Clay Djubal. "What Oh Tonight: The Methodology Factor and Pre-1930s' Variety Theatre.' Ph D, U of Qld, 2005. Appendix C [1920-1935, Bibliography] Australian Variety Theatre Archive • http://ozvta.com/dissertations/ AT THE GRAND HOTEL: [revusical] Txt. Walter Johnston; Mus. [n/e] It is not clear if this revusical shares any relationship with several other similarly titled productions, notably Walter George's The Grand Hotel, 1917. Nat Phillips also produced a revusical called At the Grand (1924), although the Fryer Library text seems to indicate that he wrote his while on tour in New Zealand. 1920: Cremorne Theatre (Bris); 31 Jan. - 6 Feb. - Dir. Walter Johnston; Prod/Prop. John N. McCallum (Dandies Qld); M Dir. Fred Whaite; Cost. Mary Glynn. - Troupe: Walter Johnston's Town Topics Co. - Cast incl. Elton Black, Yorke Gray, Belle Millette, Lou Vernon, Leslie Jephcott, Alice Bennetto, Gladys Raines. THE NEW M.P. [revusical] Txt. Al Bruce; Mus. [n/e] Described as a "one act musical farce comedy" in advertising, The New M.P. was possibly earlier than 1920. [American producer/writer, Al Bruce, toured the Fullers Australian and New Zealand circuits in 1918 with a number of revues/revusicals he had brought with him from the States - notably The Elixir of Love (May 25) and The Back to Nature Club (ca. June). It is likely that by late 1919 the material Bruce was staging were either written while in the region (by Bruce and/or others in his troupe), or as with The Back to Nature Club, had been adapted to include local settings and contained significantly higher levels of local influences than the earlier productions.] 1920: Empire Theatre (Bris); 31 Jan. - 6 Feb. - Dir. Al Bruce; Prod. Fullers' Theatres Ltd. - Troupe: Al Bruce and his Rosebuds. - Cast incl. Al Bruce, Mabelle Morgan, R. Raymond, D'Arcy Kelway, Les Shipp. MADEMOISELLE MIMI [aka HELLO MIMI or ADIEU MIMI]: [musical comedy] Txt/Mus. [n/e] The Sydney Morning Herald theatre critic writes that as new disciples of Bairnsfather, the All-Diggers Company depict "the lighter side of war, the invincible spirit of comedy which enables men to crack jokes and sing light-hearted ditties while the guns are roaring and shells bursting overhead." Describing the sidelights of life upon the battlefield as "exceedingly laughable" the critic goes no to record that all seven members of the troupe had been on active service, even noting the corps in which they served, these being: Arthur S. Keighley, M.C., 11th Battalion, Anzac Corps School Concert Party; Hugh Gannon, 1st Battalion, Anzac Coves; George Jennings, 5th Pioneer Battalion (Kookaburras); Cyril James, 32nd Battalion (Kookaburras), Roy Glenister, 1st A.S.C. (Sentimental Blokes) Claude Hansen, 3rd A.A.H, (incl. concert party) and Adelaide's Lindsay Kemble 1st A.S.C.(Sentimental Blokes). Advertising for the Melbourne season further records: "The Real Thing by Real Diggers, who are also Real Actors. To get it more realistic than this one would have to bring the war itself along. Don't wait for that. This is the funniest bit of real life ever put into a theatre" (ARG: 9 Feb. 1920, 8). Played out over three acts and set somewhere in France during the First World War, the first act opens with a bunch of solders taking R and R in an estaminet run by Mademoiselle Mimi. They sing, spin yarns and gibe with cutting satire at their officers, the War Office and each other. The Herald records that "all sorts of amusing figures flit to and fro - the haw haw solider who wears a monocle and addresses his officer as 'dear old thing;' the stupid recruit, who unable to read or write, is promptly drafted into the Intelligence Corps; an irate military representative who will not permit the tribunal to grant an exemption to cripples, since he affirms a mahogany leg is equally as good as a heart of oak" (29 Mar. 1920, 5). The second act sees the soldiers heading off to the front, joined by Mimi. Here they find themselves grouped around a camp fire in an old barn, relieving the tension of waiting for the big surge by singing songs and telling stories. The finale is played out as bombs whistle overhead and the soldiers sing "Where Did That One Go." The scene ends with the roof of the barn collapsing and the soldiers emerging scared but unhurt as the stage becomes obscured by smoke. In the last act the "piquant hostess" Mimi returns to her inn dreading the inevitable roll- call that will eventuate in the wake of an attack that has led to heavy losses. Songs incorporated into 1920 production included: "On the Staff" (sung by Arthur Keighley), "Yarrawonga" and "The Heart-Breaking Baby Doll" (Hugh Gannon). The 1922 one act revival, presented as Hello Mimi, also included "On the Staff" (sung by Lorne O'Brien), along with: "Happy" (Kemble), "Lancashire Jazz Band" (Jennings), "Wonderful Mother of Mine" (Roy Glenister), "Some Girls" (Saunders and Jennings), "What Do You mean" (Jennings and Kemble), "Cross-Eyed Clara" (Jennings), "They Never leave You Alone" (Kemble), "Lovin' Disposition" (O'Brien)," "Wonderful Mother of Mine" (Glenister) and "Goodbye Khaki" (Kemble). It is believed that the company renamed the show Hello Mimi or alternatively Adieu Mimi (Farewell Mimi") for later tours so as to distinguish it from the troupe. By 1922 the production had also been shortened to one act. Following the success of Mademoiselle Mimi the company put together several other musical comedies, touring under the banner of the Mademoiselle Mimi Diggers. Other productions by the troupe included: The Pommy Bride, Mimi's Spies, Winning a Wife and Odds and Ends (see 1921). [NB: The Brisbane Courier reviewed the production in 1921 as Hello Mimi despite it being advertised as Adieu, Mimi. 1920: Playhouse Theatre (Melb); 7 Feb. - 23 Mar. - Dir. Capt. A. S. Keighley; Prod. J. and N. Tait. - Troupe: The All Diggers Company of Actors Back from Active Duty (aka Mademoiselle Mimi Diggers) - Cast: Arthur S. Keighley, Hugh Gannon, George Jennings, Cyril James, Roy Glenister, Claude Hansen, Lindsay Kemble (Mimi). 518 1920: Playhouse Theatre (Syd); 27 Mar. - 22 May - Dir. Capt. A. S. Keighley; Prod. J. and N. Tait. - Troupe: The All Diggers Company of Actors Back from Active Duty (aka Mademoiselle Mimi Diggers) - Cast: Arthur S. Keighley, Hugh Gannon, George Jennings, Cyril James, Roy Glenister, Claude Hansen, Lindsay Kemble (Mimi).