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Revusical.
Stiffy and Mo are a couple of stable lads at a racecourse in this 'sporty musical comedy revue'. The other characters include Dennis (an old trainer); Marion (his daughter); Paul Mannering (the owner); Jonsey (a punter); Olga Verough (in love with Paul); Lord Verbrought (her accomplice); Lizzie (the servant); and Graham, Harry, Bentham, and Ken (possibly punters). The 1921 Brisbane Courier review records:
[The play] was a burlesque on the sport of horse racing ... replete with crooks, disqualified jockeys and adventuresses. As the stable boys Messrs. Roy Rene and Nat Phillips gave a clever and laughable portrayal of the characteristics commonly attributed to "horsey" men. Miss Daisy Merritt as Polly, the "Queen of Ascot", was the object of the amorous advances of Mo, and the latter's proposal made a great hit with some of the audience, but other persons might have thought it approached the indelicate. The comedy was full of pretty frocked ballets, dances and songs' (p.4).
The Brisbane Courier's review of Nat Phillips' 1926 Whirligig version records:
The second half of the programme was taken up with an amusing sporting revue, The Jockeys, depicting dark doings at the racecourse. As usual Stiffy and 'Erb (in the role of stable boys) claimed a large share of attention, and their handling of their mounts, a collie dog and a goat was a scream. Smart and snappy musical numbers by members of the company, with the able co-operation of the Whirligig Ballet, were interspersed throughout the programme (13 December 1926, p.17).
The 'musical sprints' presented during the 1922 production were 'Derby Day' (punters, owners, and trainers), 'Mississippi' (Connelly and girls), 'Miss O'Shea' (Shaw, Rene, and Phillips), 'Miami Dreams' (Connors and Paul), 'Ahead of the Times' (O'Brien and girls), 'All by Myself' (Paul), 'Strut, Miss Lizzie' (Connors and girls), 'Timbuctoo' (Connelly), 'Jabowocky' (Davis and girls), and the finale, 'The Race for the Cup' (the jockeys). Queenie Paul's song, 'All by Myself', was included in the production by request.
Production Details
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1918: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 15-21 June.
- 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], Vince Courtney, Cliff O'Keefe.
1919: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 5-11 July.
- 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, 27 March - 2 April (return season: 10 July - 21 August).
- 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.
- The company undertook a brief regional tour between seasons, with the return season beginning 10 July. The Age also notes that 'the supporting company has been very much improved' (12 July 1920, p.8). Mike Connors and Queenie Paul joined the troupe at this time. See also At the Club (1920), which had its Australian premiere during the return season.
- The return season was the final production for the company in Melbourne that year.
1921: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 2-8 July.
- 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, and the Radio Six Girls.
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1922: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 22-28 July.
- 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 (Dennis, the old traainer), Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene] (Marion, his daughter), Keith Connelly (Paul Mannering, the owner), Queenie Paul (Olga Venough, in love with Paul), Mike Connors (Lord Verbrought, her accomplice), Gladys Shaw (Lizzie, the servant); and the Radio Six (Rosie Bowie, Gwen Brandon, Thelma Duff, Flo Wilson, Marie McLaughlin, Phyllis Whisken) as punters.
- Details sourced from advertised programme in Fuller News 22 July 1922, p.12.
1924: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 4-10 October.
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Mike Connors, Queenie Paul, Peter Brooks, Dan M. Dunbar, Dot Davis [aka Mrs Roy Rene], Gladys Shaw; and the Six Radio Girls.
1926: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 11-17 December.
- 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 ('Erb), Daisy Merritt, Dan M. Dunbar, Dan Weldon, Eric Masters, Dorothy Manning, May Laurence, Polly Power; 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).
1927: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 25 June - 1 July.
- Director Nat Phillips; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
- Troupe Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company.
- Cast incl. Nat Phillips, Roy Rene, Amy Rochelle, Harry Ross, Sadie Gale, Daisy Merritt, Statler Sisters, Alec Kellaway, Jack Kellaway; and the Radio Girls
- Musicians Charleston Symphony Jazz Band.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Empire Theatre
1926
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 13 December 1926; (p. 17)
— Review of Jockeys 1918 single work musical theatre -
The Empire
1921
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 4 July 1921; (p. 9)
— Review of Jockeys 1918 single work musical theatre
-
The Empire
1921
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 4 July 1921; (p. 9)
— Review of Jockeys 1918 single work musical theatre -
Empire Theatre
1926
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 13 December 1926; (p. 17)
— Review of Jockeys 1918 single work musical theatre
