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Revusical.
Stiffy and Mo (the plumbers) are called in to make repairs at a wedding breakfast being held in the reception room of Captain Senate's house. They are first mistaken for burglars and then find themselves tangled up in schemes by various characters to fool other members of the family. This includes Stiffy being asked to cure Mrs Senate's jealous husband by 'making love' to her, while Mo finds himself in the same situation with Mrs Pinetree. Stiffy is later induced to impersonate the Senate's mad and violent son, who just happens to be coming to the house that evening. After the pair manage to scam £250 out of Mr Senate they are are forced to flee at the point of a gun.
The chief characters, as listed in the manuscript version are: Colonel Pinetree (a jealous husband), Mrs Pinetree (his mean old wife), Captain Senate (also jealous), Mrs Senate (with a way of her own), Frank Denvers (just married), Mrs Denvers (nee Senate), Stiffy and Mo, and the bridesmaids - Dot, Clarice, Lilian, Lorrimar, Daphne and Gorgia [sic].
Songs incorporated into the 1922 production included : 'The Party' (bridesmaids and friends), 'A Toast to the Bride' (company), 'Grieving for You' (Paul and girls), 'Scotch Highball' (Paul, Rene and Phillips), 'You Never Can Tell' (Davis and girls), 'Blue Diamonds' (Conners), 'Lucky' (Davis), 'The Older We Get' (Connolly), 'Tuck Me to Sleep in My 'Tucky Home' (Connors and Paul), 'Good-Bye Girls' (Connolly and girls) and the finale 'The Plumbers' (company).
Notes
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Although staged under the title Yes We Don't during the debut Stiffy and Mo season, this revusical was billed from 1917 onwards under its more well known name, The Plumbers (or invariably 'Stiffy and Mo as Plumbers'). Of historical interest is the fact that the show premiered on 13 October 1916 during the final weeks of the extended season (initially advertised as being six weeks in length the company's unprecedented popularity forced the theatre's lessees Harry Sadler and Jack Kearns to keep them on until the end of October). This situation in turn forced Phillips to write several new productions in order to provide audiences with new material during the second six-week period. Evidence of this comes from the Nat Phillips Collection manuscript (under Yes We Don't) which indicates that it was completed on 13 August 1916 (some four weeks after the premiere production, What Oh Tonight). This suggests that Yes We Don't/The Plumbers may be the first Stiffy and Mo revusical to have been written by Phillips with Mo's character developed in response to Roy Rene's portrayal (each of the first six shows were most likely written prior to the company coming together). Interestingly, Mo still receives much less dialogue in the text than Stiffy. There appears, however, to be greater opportunity given to him within the improvised scenes.
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A review of the the October 1916 production indicates that that production differed somewhat to the Nat Phillips Collection manuscript. One of the characters mentioned in the review, Mr Quimbell (played by Horace Mann) is not included in the manuscript version (see Theatre November 1916, p50). It is possible that Quimbell and Frank Denvers (one of the manuscipt characters) are one and the same.
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The character parts (aka sides) held in the collection under the title The Plumbers, are those of Keith and The Husband. While there is no mention in any text or review of a character called Keith, it is the name of one of the troupe members from ca. 1925 (Keith Connolly). It shgould be noted that many of the character parts in the collection include the name of the actor playing role, sometimes at the exclusion of the character's name. It is also possible that one of the characters had his name changed to Keith at some stage.
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An advertisement for the Plumbers, published in the 8 September 1917 edition of the Argus included the following limerick : 'Stiffy and Mo are distinctly benighted / They never know when they are slighted / When out at a party / They eat just as hearty / As if they'd been really invited' (p24).
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An edited version appears in '"What Oh Tonight" : The Methodology Factor and Pre-1930s Australian Variety Theatre - Appendices.' Clay Djubal, Ph D Thesis, 2005, pp64-75.
Production Details
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1916: Princess Theatre, Sydney; 13-19 October.
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer/Lessee Harry Sadler and Jack Kearns; Proprietor Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
- Troupe: Nat Phillips' Tabloid Musical Comedy Company.
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips (Stiffy), Roy Rene (Mo), Daisy Merritt ( an old shrew), Maisie Pollard, Peter Brooks, Walter Jackson [aka Walter Whyte], Horace Mann (Mr Quimbell, a juvenile lover).
1917: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne ; 8-14 September (return season: 24-30 November).
- 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], Cliff O'Keefe, Vince Courtney; with the Panama Six (including Rosie Bowie, Phyllis Whisken, Dot O'Dea, Gwen Brandon).
- Nellie Kolle made a guest appearance during the return season.
1918: Empire Theatre, Brisbane; 23 February - 1 March (return season: 1-7 June).
- 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.
1919: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney; 24-30 May (return season: 6-12 September).
- 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.
1920: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne; 20-26 April (return season: 26 June - 2 July).
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
- Troupe: Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Amy Rochelle, Daisy Merritt, Caddy Franks, Horace Mann, Dan Dunbar, Will Liddle, Lou Harris.
1921: Empire Theatre, Brisbane; 30 July - 5 August.
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
- Troupe: Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Daisy Merritt, Dan M. Dunbar, Lola Hunt, Belle Pollard, Gerald Cashman, Walter Jackson [aka Walter Whyte], Dot O'Dea.
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1922: Fullers Theatre, Sydney ; 10-16 June.
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Music Director Charles Ryder; Choreograaphy Rosie Bowie; Business Manager George C. Audley; Costumers Ethel Moar; Stage Manager Dan M. Dunbar. -
- Troupe: Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Dan M. Dunbar (Mr Pinetree), Gladys Shaw (Mrs Pinetree), Mike Connors (Mr Senate), Queenie Paul (Mrs Senate), Keith Connelly (Mr Scudder), Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene] (Mrs Scudder) ; and the Six Radio Girls as bridesmaids/friends (Gwen Brandon, Rosie Bowie, Thelma Duff, Flo Wilson, Marie McLaughlin, Phyllis Whisken).
- Details sourced from advertised programme in Fuller News 10 June 1922, p.11.
1924: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney; 11-17 October.
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
- Troupe: Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Peter Brooks, Dan M. Dunbar, Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene], Gladys Shaw; the Six Radio Girls.
1925 : Bijou Theatre, Melbourne; 25 April - 1 May.
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd ; Choreography Rosie Bowie.
- Troupe: Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Dan M. Dunbar, Queenie Paul, Mike Connors, Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene], Gladys Shaw, Keith Connolly, Rene Albert, David Lyle ; and the Dandy Six.
- The Argus reports that 'at one stage the audience and the company joined in laughter at one of Mo's gags and the revue was interrupted for three minutes until the principals had regained their composure' (27 April 1925, p.18).
1925: Majestic Theatre, Adelaide; 16-24 July.
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
- Troupe: Nat Phillips' Newly Organised Company (later known as Nat Phillips' Whirligigs).
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Dan M. Dunbar, Queenie Paul, Mike Connors, Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene], Joe Mullaney, Leonard Rich, June Mills, William Innes, Shannon Raye; and the Six Crack-a-Jacks.
- This was the first production staged by Phillips following his break-up with Roy Rene. There was no off-sider for this particular production, with Phillips taking on the role of Stiffy in a solo comedian performance.
- Interestingly this production started on the Thursday night (two nights earlier than usual).
