AustLit

English-born variety comedian, actor, singer, and lyricist/songwriter.

Best known as a musical comedy comedian during his early career in Australia, Bert Gilbert is first believed to have toured Australia in 1897 and 1898 with his wife Ada Reeve, whom he had married in 1895. The marriage eventually broke down in 1900 as a result of Gilbert's frequent infidelity. Indeed, his dalliances with a number of gallery girls were even commented upon in several papers during his Australian tour (ctd Companion to Theatre in Australia, p.484).

When Gilbert returned to Australia about a decade later, he was largely associated with J. C. Williamson, playing such roles as Baron Bounce in Jack and Jill (1908). He also appeared in Williamson's Humpty Dumpty pantomime. Gilbert later toured with James Brennan's Vaudeville Players (ca. 1911-1912), and in the mid-1920s was associated with Pat Hanna's Famous Diggers. As a songwriter, Gilbert was largely responsible for writing lyrics, but also occasionally wrote the music himself.