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Revusical.
Described in 1926 advertisements as a 'giddy whirl of a romantic gaiety on circus life' (Age 31 July 1926, n. pag.), many of the incidents and characters are drawn from Gerald's ten years touring the world as an acrobat and clown with Oscar Pagel's circus. One critic reports that 'there is a story, quite enough for a musical comedy and better than that of a great many musical comedies in that it supplies suitable pegs on which to hang good musical numbers, excellent dancing and the almost inimitable funny episodes introduced by the principal' (Brisbane Courier 14 March 1927, p.17). The 1922 Empire Theatre season was also enthusiastically applauded by the Brisbane Courier's theatre critic, who wrote:
As most of the scenes were enacted in what was supposed to be the circus arena, full advantage was taken of parodying in a most amusing way some of the old favourite performances of the sawdusting. Amongst them the weird and wonderful acrobatic balancing feats achieved by Jim Gerald, in conjunction with Howard Hall, and aided by a droll mechanical stage device, not too much in evidence at first, were vastly entertaining as a skit upon the same stage in recent weeks by a world famous pair of balancers (11 December 1922, p.15).
The action revolves around Gerald's character Tom Pigh, 'a detective (or "disinfectant" as he describes himself on at least one occasion) who is searching for a missing heiress but seems to be always on the on the wrong scent despite his diligent use of a notebook' (Brisbane Courier 14 Mar. 1927, p.17). Other principal roles include a determined lion tamer, a squire, and a strong man. The title of the show refers to the young lady in question turning out to be one of the circus's bare-back riders. According to a 1930 Age review, the heiress, Maisie Varney, was found as an infant by swaggering circus owner George Kingpole, and raised as a performer. The plot is further complicated by the attention paid to the young lady by a country-town squire on whose property the circus has set up its tents. 'Of course everything turns out happily,' writes the critic (14 April 1930, p.12). In its review of the 1927 Empire Theatre return season (beginning 25 June), the Brisbane Courier reports, 'That he eventually found the girl was more good luck than good management, and in his quest he was effectively helped and hindered by the other members of the company' (27 June 1927, p.15).
The 1927 return season, staged under the title More Bare Backs, was an extended version, presented as a two-and-a-half-hour musical comedy. For this version, Gerald inserted more comic business and songs.
Among the songs incorporated into the 1927 return season were 'Blackbird' (sung by Betty Lambert), 'Eyes' (Ernest Crawford), 'Washing my Lime' (Essie Jennings), 'Garden Suburb' (Jim Gerald), and 'Somebody Lonely' (Crawford and Geary). An opera burlesque was also introduced by the whole company.
Production Details
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1922: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 10-16 October.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren; Orchestra Leader Harold Vinner.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, Lance Vane, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Shannon Raye, Winnie Trevail, Polly McLaren, and the Six Twinklers (Iris McKenzie, Vera Nixon, Laurel Barrett, Irene Vando, Edna Drake, Myra Rowe).
1922: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 9-15 December.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, Lance Vane, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Winnie Trevail, Polly McLaren, Shannon Raye, and the Six Twinklers (Iris McKenzie, Vera Nixon, Laurel Barrett, Gladys Taylor, Edna Drake, Myra Rowe).
1923: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, ca. February.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, Lance Vane, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Mona Thomas, Polly McLaren, Letty Craydon, and the Six Twinklers (Iris McKenzie, Vera Nixon, Laurel Barrett, Irene Vando, Edna Drake, Myra Rowe).
1924: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 23-28 February.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Miniature Musical Comedy Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Polly McLaren, Ernest Crawford, Lance Vane, Howard Hall, Letty Craydon, Mona Thomas, and the Six Twinklers.
1926: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 20-26 February (return season: 12-18 June).
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Revue Company.
- Cast* incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Polly McLaren, Lance Vane, Mona Thomas, Ernest Crawford, Howard Hall, Myra Rowe, Betty Lambert, May Geary, Neva Carr-Glynn, and the Six Twinklers.
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1926: New Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, 31 July - 6 August.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
- Troupe Jim Gerald Revue Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Lance Vane, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Polly McLaren, May Geary, Howard Hall, Ernest Crawford, Mona Thomas, Betty Lambert, Myra Rowe, and the Six Twinklers.
- Iris McKenzie's name is mentioned in several reviews during the Bijou Theatre season. It is unclear at this stage if she had become a member of the cast or was still one of the Six Twinklers.
1927: Empire Theatre, Brisbane, 12-18 March (return season: 25 June - 1 July, as More Bare Backs).
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane; Chorus Polly McLaren.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Revue Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Harry Burgess, Polly McLaren, Lance Vane, Dan Weldon, Howard Hall, May Geary, Betty Lambert, Ray and Dot McLean, Dalton Payne, Harry Payne, Flora McDonald, Jack Manners, and the Six Twinklers.
- The opening production for the company's 1927 Brisbane season, it also marked May Geary's first trip to Brisbane with the company.
- Dan Weldon temporarily took on Ernest Crawford's role, beginning opening night, due to the latter's illness.
1927: Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, 12-18 November.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatre Ltd; Stage Manager Lance Vane.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Revue Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Harry Burgess, Howard Hall, Lance Vane, Phyllis du Barry, Ray McLean, Mona Thomas, Cecil Scott, May Geary, Dot Creswell, Les Pearce, Neva Glynn-Carr, Betty Lambert, and the Six Twinklers.
1928: Victoria Theatre, Newcastle, 1-7 December.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Fullers' Theatres Ltd.
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Revue Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Lance Vane, Reg Hawthorne, Ward Lear Jnr, Tom Dale, Billy Heaton, Una Baines, Amy Rochelle, Phyllis du Barry, Letty Craydon, Olivette, and the Six Twinklers.
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1930: Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne, 12-18 April (as Circus Days).
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Tivoli Celebrity Vaudeville.
- Troupe Jim Gerald Musical Revue Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald (Tom Pigh), Essie Jennings, Reg Hawthorne, Howard Hall, Jim Foran, Sadie Gale, Tom Dale (the Squire), Joe Hudson (George Kingpole), Ray McLean, Joan Graham, Lily Coburn, Marie Ward, Thelma Duff, Edna Ralston (Maisie Varney), and the Six Twinklers.
1933: Tivoli Theatre, Sydney, 29 January - 2 February (as Circus Days).
- Director Jim Gerald ; Producer Con-Paul Theatres (Mike Connors and Queenie Paul).
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Lily Coburn, Reg Hawthorne, Frieda Bohning, Howard Hall, Thelma Duff, Will Perryman, Lou Cottam, Tom Dale, Heather Jones, Thelma Bryce, Jess Gillam, Vilma Kaye, and the Twelve Twinklers.
1934 : Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne, 21-27 April.
- Director Jim Gerald; Producer Con-Paul Theatres (Mike Connors and Queenie Paul).
- Troupe Jim Gerald's Musical Revue Company.
- Cast incl. Jim Gerald, Lou Cottam, Edna Ralston, Lily Coburn, Thelma Duff, Tom Dale, Lance Vane, Frieda Bohning, George Moon Jnr, Vilma Kaye, Robbie Clifton, Will Perryman, Max Reddy, and the Twinklers.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Tivoli Theatre - Bright Musical Revue
1934
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 23 April 1934; (p. 12)
— Review of Bare Backs 1922 single work musical theatre -
New Tivoli Theatre : 'Circus Days'
1933
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 30 January no. 29664 1933; (p. 4)
— Review of Bare Backs 1922 single work musical theatre ; Happy Ideas 1929 single work musical theatre A brief review of the 1933 Sydney season of Circus Days (formerly known as Bare Backs) and Happy Ideas (first part revue). -
Tivoli Theatre
1930
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 14 April 1930; (p. 12)
— Review of Bare Backs 1922 single work musical theatre A review of the 1930 Tivoli Theatre (Melbourne) production of Circus Days, previously titled Bare Backs. -
The Empire
1927
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 27 June 1927; (p. 15)
— Review of Bare Backs 1922 single work musical theatre -
Jim Gerald Returns to Empire
1927
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 14 March 1927; (p. 17)
— Review of Bare Backs 1922 single work musical theatre
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Jim Gerald Returns to Empire
1927
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 14 March 1927; (p. 17)
— Review of Bare Backs 1922 single work musical theatre -
The Gerald Revue Company
1922
single work
review
— Appears in: The Theatre Magazine , November 1922; (p. 21)
— Review of Bare Backs 1922 single work musical theatre A brief report on the Fullers' Theatre (Sydney) season. It also includes a selection of jokes from that production. -
The Empire
1927
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 27 June 1927; (p. 15)
— Review of Bare Backs 1922 single work musical theatre -
Empire Theatre
1922
single work
review
— Appears in: The Brisbane Courier , 11 December 1922; (p. 15)
— Review of Bare Backs 1922 single work musical theatre -
Tivoli Theatre - Bright Musical Revue
1934
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 23 April 1934; (p. 12)
— Review of Bare Backs 1922 single work musical theatre
