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Revusical.
In the original Stiffy and Mo version, the two larrikins create mayhem and fun as a pair of coppers. The other characters are an inspector, a sub, a murderess, Dr Bean, Tom Jones, Cora (engaged to the 'Spec'), Miss Mora (a school teacher), and a group of school girls. The character parts held in the Nat Phillips Collection, Fryer Library (University of Queensland) are those of Keith, The Inspector, Paul, and Lula. The Brisbane Courier records in 1921 that 'the company kept the audience laughing. Their satirical characterisations were so farcical as to rob them of all but the most amusing interests. Mo and Stiffy as the Coppers were irrepressible, while the costuming of the "school girls" was bright and attractive' (15 August 1921, p.4).
The 1926 Whirligigs Brisbane season saw Phillips and Jack Kellaway as Copper 00 and Copper II respectively. The Brisbane Courier's theatre critic writes of the show:
'The piece turned out on Saturday to be one of the drollest that has been seen at the Albert Street house for many a day. The revue is, of course, frankly burlesque. Such 'coppers' do not exist off the stage, with such absolute lack of sense of responsibility. The action opens with a school scene. The children are at play when a police inspector arrives, announces that the police station has been burnt down, and that the force is taking over the school premises as temporary quarters. The scholars, therefore, are to have an indefinite holiday. Immediately after this the 'force' arrives consisting of the two 'coppers.' They go through a certain amount of drill, and play all sorts of tricks, but their chief characteristic seems to be a blindness to the dignity of the uniform when worn by their superior officer (Mike Connors). A little later they get down to business by making an arrest, but real trouble looms ahead when the detective (Dan M. Dunbar) learns that a jeweller's shop had been broken into on the previous night, that it was on Copper 00's beat and that though the stalwart constable was due at the spot at the time of the occurrence he knew nothing of it. This, with scenes on the beat, provides material for plenty of nonsense. Saturday's audience immensely enjoyed themselves. The revue ends with a court scene, with Stiffy as the judge, Mike Connors as 'Mr Slawford,' Jack Kellaway as 'Mr M'Grab,' a very curious associate; the Radio Six as the jury; Queenie Paul as a shoplifter, Dan Weldon as a bigamist, Dan Dunbar as a Bolshevist, and Daisy Merritt, Elsie Hocking and the Charleston band all charged with behaving riotously (8 Nov. 1926, p.15).
The 'musical charges' for the 1922 production were 'School Days' (school girls), 'One Horse Town' (Davis and girls), 'The Police' (Rene and Phillips), 'Wabash Blues' (Connors and girls), 'Dixie' (Connelly, O'Brien, and girls), 'Painted Doll' (Paul), 'Man in the Moon' (Connelly and girls), 'Mammy' (Connors and Paul), 'Old Nantucket' (Davis and girls), 'Tomorrow Morning' (Shaw and girls), and 'Arrested' (the coppers).
For the 1925 Bijou Theatre production (billed as At the Police Strike), Phillips incorporated such songs as 'Don't Mind the Rain' (Queenie Paul) and 'Sally, Come Home' (Mike Connors).
Songs incorporated into the 1926 Stiffy and 'Erb production included 'Gypsy Smiles' (Queenie Paul) and 'Safety First' (Mike Connors).
Notes
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Although it was not uncommon for the Stiffy and Mo revusicals to be presented under variant titles over the years (this sometimes occurred even when a show was staged twice during a season), the difference was usually minor. In contrast, the 1925 Bijou Theatre production in which the pair play a couple of policemen was billed as At the Police Strike, a title that appears to suggest a quite different scenario to the one described above. The inclusion of the character Dr Bean in this production suggests, however, that it is the same show as Policemen/The Police (see Age 6 April 1925, p.12).
Production Details
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1917: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 27 October- 2 November.
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
- Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips (Stiffy), Roy Rene (Mo), Daisy Merritt, Caddy Franks, Horace Mann, Dan M. Dunbar, Peter Brooks, Belle Pollard, Walter Jackson [aka Walter Whyte], Cliff O'Keefe, Vince Courtney, and the Panama Six (incl. Rosie Bowie, Phyllis Whisken, Dot O'Dea, Gwen Brandon).
1918: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 27 April - 3 May.
- 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, 9-15 August.
- 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, 22-28 May.
- 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 M. Dunbar, Will Liddle, Lou Harris.
1921: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 13-19 August (as Police).
- 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.
1922: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 15-21 July (as Police).
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Music Director Charles Ryder; Chorus Rosie Bowie; Business Manager George C. Audley; Costumes Ethel Moar; Stage Manager Dan M. Dunbar.
- Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Dan M. Dunbar (The Sub), Dot Davis (Miss Mora, a school teacher), Queenie Paul (Cora, engaged to the 'Spec.), Mike Connors (The Inspector), Keith Connelly (Dr Bean), Gladys Shaw (the murderess), Doc O'Brien (Tom Jones), and the Radio Six (Rosie Bowie, Gwen Brandon, Thelma Duff, Flo Wilson, Marie McLaughlin, Phyllis Whisken) as school girls.
- Details sourced from advertised programe in Fuller News 1921 15 July 1922, p.2.
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1925: Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 4-10 April (as At the Police Strike).
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Chorus 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], Keith Connolly (Dr Bean), Gladys Shaw, Rene Albert, David Lyle, and the Dandy Six.
1926: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 6-12 November (as The Police).
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Music Director Frank Wilson.
- Troupe Nat Phillips' Whirligigs [aka Stiffy and 'Erb].
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Jack Kellaway, Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Daisy Merritt, Dan Dunbar, Dan Weldon, Elsie Hoskins, and the Radio Six ; Musicians Charleston Super Six Symphonists, incl. Frank Wilson (trombone/accordion), 'Tiny' Douglas (violin), Art Dewar (banjo), Frank Morton (cornet), and Les Clements (piano).
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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'The Police' at the Empire
1926
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 8 November 1926; (p. 15)
— Review of Policemen 1917 single work musical theatre -
The Empire
1921
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 15 August 1921; (p. 4)
— Review of Policemen 1917 single work musical theatre
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The Empire
1921
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 15 August 1921; (p. 4)
— Review of Policemen 1917 single work musical theatre -
'The Police' at the Empire
1926
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 8 November 1926; (p. 15)
— Review of Policemen 1917 single work musical theatre
