AustLit

The Globetrotters, an eight member vaudeville troupe put together for a tour of Asia (the referred to as the East) between 1922 and 1924. Beginning in Java in December 1922, the tour followed a long-established circuit of colonial outposts with large English-expatriate communities beginning in Java, and followed by Singapore, Malaya, Thailand and India, Hong Kong, China and Japan.

The members comprised comedian Richard "Dick" Norton (comedian/manager), two former Smart Set Diggers female impersonators, Charles Holt and Ralph Sawyer, along with singer Florence "Bobby" Broadhurst, Leila Forbes (comedienne), Dorothy Drew (soubrette), Jack Creighton (comedian), Wallingford Tate (pianist/comedian). The Globetrotters' repertoire was standard variety entertainment, including sketches, songs (both comic and popular), light classical piano instrumentals, dances (especially featuring Ralph Sawyer), comedy routines and patter.