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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
This adaptation of the well-known children's story utilised the Robin Hood/Sherwood Forest setting popularised in many previous pantomime productions.
The scenes staged were:
Act 1Scene 1. The Cave of the Witches;
Scene 2. The Village of Sherwood;
Scene 3. On the Road to Sherwood Forest;
Scene 4. Sherwood Forest;
Scene 5. Outside Dragon Palace;
Scene 6. Cloudland Cabaret and The Beautiful Illuminated Aeroplane.
Act 2. Scene 1. Sherwood Railway Station;
Scene 2. Near Flower Land;
Scene 3. Rose Land;
Scene 4. Once Again Outside Dragon Palace;
Scene 5. A Street in the U.S.A.;
Scene 6. Windmill Land.
Notes
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The authorship of this 1921 version of the popular Babes in the Wood story, one of three produced by the Fullers in four years, is unclear. The similarities in scenic settings, some character names, and the use of W. Hamilton Webber's music suggest that it may have been an adaptation of Nat Phillips' 1918 production (see below). (However, his name is not mentioned in any advertisements or reviews for the Palace Theatre season.) The argument for positioning this as a separate work is primarily due to the presence of (American-born) director George H. Ward. Aside from being one of the Fullers' leading directors of variety entertainment during the 1920s, Ward was also a principal member of the Fullers' American Revue Co (aka the Ward-Sherman Revue Co) and one of the creative minds behind most of that company's revusical productions. It is likely, then, that he had significant input into the development of the storyline, the writing of new dialogue, and inclusion of new comic material for the pantomime.
It is believed that much of W. Hamilton Webber's music for this production was taken from the 1918 Nat Phillips production. Some additional songs were written by company members, notably Charles L. Sherman. -
The Fullers' other Babes in the Woods pantomimes were:
- The Babes in the Wood (1918), libretto by Nat Phillips.
- The Babes in the Wood (1921), libretto by Frank Neil.
- The Babes in the Wood (1918), libretto by Nat Phillips.
Production Details
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1921: Palace Theatre, Melbourne, 24 December 1921 - 11 February 1922.
- Director George H. Ward; Producer Fullers Theatres Ltd; Music Director James Dobbs; Scenic Art and Fred Adamson; Chorus Dorrie Tointon; Costumes Ethel Moar.
- Cast incl. Walter Cornock (Mrs Bumble), Mabelle Morgan (Robin Hood), Tom Newell, Charles L. Sherman (Bumble), Curley Sherwood (Jennie), Dorothy Cope (Strongheart), Ruth Bucknell (Fairy Queen), Melba Lees (a Babe), Winnie Trevail (Mayflower), Les Warton (Mike), George H. Ward (Hermie), Harry Burgess (Baron Hardcastle), Leila Dabscheck (Bubbles), Rene Denerio, Kathleen Walters, Pearl Cooking, Enid Brocklehurst, Vicky Finlayson, Essie Johnson, Irene Hill, Dorothy Reeves, Alice Roy, Olive Wallace, Madge Alcock, Edith Roy, Coral Graves, Elma Law, Trixie Wilson, Billie Carr, Irene Vando, Zoe Midgley, Rosie Downie, Hazel Porter, Bonny Livingston, Doris Rendall, Edna Luscombe, Stella De Lisle, Dorothy Hillver, Ray Fisher, Patty Thwaites, Edna Midel, Mona Woods, Laurel Barrett, Eileen Bristow.
- George H. Ward, Charles L. Sherman, Mabelle Morgan, Curley Sherwood, Les Warton, Harry Burgess, and Madge Alcock were all members of the Ward-Sherman Revue Co.
- Les Warton and George H. Ward played their Ward-Sherman Revue Co alter-egos, Mike and Hermie, in the pantomime.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
Palace Theatre Pantomime
1921
single work
review
— Appears in: The Argus , 27 December no. 23524 1921; (p. 7)
— Review of The Babes in the Wood 1921 single work musical theatre -
People in 'The Babes in the Wood'
1921-1922
single work
review
— Appears in: Fuller News , December/January 1921-1922; (p. 5, 8, 18, 22-23)
— Review of The Babes in the Wood 1921 single work musical theatre
-
People in 'The Babes in the Wood'
1921-1922
single work
review
— Appears in: Fuller News , December/January 1921-1922; (p. 5, 8, 18, 22-23)
— Review of The Babes in the Wood 1921 single work musical theatre -
Palace Theatre Pantomime
1921
single work
review
— Appears in: The Argus , 27 December no. 23524 1921; (p. 7)
— Review of The Babes in the Wood 1921 single work musical theatre
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 3 Sep 2014 09:15:44
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