AustLit

Comic, eccentric dancer, revue and pantomime actor, producer, manager.

Charles Delavale's extraordinarily-long career began ca. 1911 as the juvenile comedian and dancer Ern Vockler and continued up until at least the mid-1950s. Known as Ike Delavale from 1923 onwards, he built a reputation as one of the country's leading entertainers in two popular partnerships - the Delavale Brothers (1910s) and Delavale and Stagpoole (1920s).

At the Shaftesbury Theatre in Perth in 1920, Delavale teamed up with former American Burlesque Company comedian Paul Stanhope to briefly form the onstage characters Ike (Delavale) and Spike (Stanhope). In 1921, he and Stagpoole joined Walter George Sunshine Players, and later appeared briefly with Bert Le Blanc's Travesty Stars.

By 1925, Charles Delavale was one of Harry Clay's major attractions, producing his own revues and pantomimes with the Ike Delavale Revue Company . Among his more popular productions were The Giggle House and The Good Ship Ribtickler (both 1924). Following Harry Clay's death in 1925, Delavale spent several years as one of the company's senior managers. In 1928 he moved to the Fullers' organisation as a producer. Among his more popular works from this period were Ike's Vacation, Suffragettes, Chuckle , and Odds and Ends. One of his last known big-budget shows was the pantomime Old Mother Hubbard (1931). He later toured with Maggie Buckley (1930s-1940s).

Highly regarded as a revusical writer/director, troupe manager/proprietor, and radio celebrity (from 1930), Delavale worked for most of the big Australian-based firms and had long associations with Harry Clay, Fullers' Theatre , Les Shipp, Stanley McKay , and Bruce Carroll (Perth). He also toured New Zealand twice with the Delavale Brothers (1917/1919) and twice with Stanley McKay's Gaieties (1935/1936). His last-known engagements were in 1947 with Bruce Carroll's Tivoli Theatre (Perth).

[Source: Australian Variety Theatre Archive]