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

This musical comedy revue is set in the studio of socialite artist Maurice, where the other characters include Floritte (his model), Peters (his friend), Polly (his maid), Tonnette (a model), Mr Guiter (a rogue), several more attractive models, and two 'butter-ins', Stiffy and Mo. In reviewing the 1924 Fullers' Theatre season, Australian Variety records that the production involved:

a most sumptuous interior set, with a superb moonlight view of the city in the background. Here the amusing attempts of Stiffy and Mo to get Mo into society were the chief ingredients of a revue that contains a lot of matter founded on everyday experience. A really amusing episode is where Stiffy, [with] the help of an imaginary lady, attempts to drill Mo into the manner of conducting himself in high-class social circles... Wisely surrounding themselves with excellent "straight people", the revue goes through the haven of success without the humourosities of the pair becoming too boresome (20 September 1924, n. pag.).

The 'musical sketches' for the 1922 production were 'Let's be Merry and Bright' (party guests), 'Wibbly Wobbly' (Keith Connolly), 'In Society' (Rene and Phillips), 'Pinkie' (Queenie Paul and girls), 'Bornio' (Mike Connors and girls), 'Tabberworky' (Ivy Davis and girls), 'Operatic Uproar' (Connelly and girls), 'In Old Minola' (Connors and Paul), 'Sydney Town' (Connelly and girls), and the finale.

Production Details

  • 1922: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 29 July - 4 August.

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Music Director Charles Ryder; Chorus Rosie Bowie; Costumes Ethel Moar; Business Manager George C. Audley; Stage Manager Dan M. Dunbar.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips (Stiffy), Roy Rene (Mo), Mike Connors (Maurice, an artist), Queenie Paul (Floritte, his model), Keith Connelly (Peters, his friend), Gladys Shaw (Polly, his maid), Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene] (Tonnette, another model), Dan M. Dunbar (Mr Guiter, a roue), and the Radio Six (Gwen Brandon, Rosie Bowie, Thelma Duff, Flo Wilson, Marie McLauchin, Phillis Whisken).
    • Details sourced from advertised programme in Fuller News 29 July 1922, p.11.

    1924: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 20-26 September.

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips (Stiffy), Roy Rene (Mo), Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Peter Brooks, Daisy Merritt, Dan M. Dunbar, Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene], Gladys Shaw, and the Six Radio Girls.

    1925: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 28 February - 6 March.

    • Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
    • Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
    • Cast incl. Nat Phillips (Stiffy), Roy Rene (Mo), Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene], Daisy Merritt, Gladys Shaw, Keith Connolly, Rene Albert, David Lyle, and the Radio Six.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

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 21 Aug 2014 09:03:45
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