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"SAN TOY." The final performance of "San Toy" by the Br.simne Amateur Operatic Society at the Tivoli will take place to-night. The production was enthusiastically enjoyed by another crowded audience last night, and everyone was delighted with the beau- tiful mounting and dressing, and the excellence with which all the music was bundled. The fun. too. was very diverting emphasized by Mr. Vivian Brahms and Mr. Vic Jensen, Source: 26 Jun 1915, The Telegraph, Brisbane trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/176905624/19850238

REX THEATRE (Fortitude Valley) aka Town Theatre / Hoyts Rex / Rex Valley (1936-ca. 1974) Wickham Street (between Gipps and Brunswick streets). Although best remembered as a cinema, the Rex Theatre’s first lessee, Graham Mitchell, operated it as a vaudeville house for some 14 months. The building, situated on the northern side of Wickham Street, dated back to the late 1900s when it served as a warehouse. At the time of its purchase by E. Craft and A.J. Carter (Crafti’s Investments Pty Ltd), it was owned by Foy and Gibson. The basement was remodeled into a theatre, with the remainder of the building converted into three shops. The Rex was used for occasional live productions up until its closure. Sinbad the Sailor (featuring Peggy Ryan) was produced there in 1950, for example. Graham Mitchell’s Jesters opened the Rex on 9 May 1936. The feature artists were Nat Hanley, Syd Beck, and Len Rich. Source: ozvta.com/theatres-qld/2/ __________

Peggy Ryan worked hard for a living. She danced, she sang, she took her clothes off when required. She worked on stage and under canvas, entered competitions, opened dance schools, and directed. She helped out her father, an illusionist and character actor, and she was as versatile as all get out. And she was not, as one magazine put it rather brutally, A Star. In a human interest story in People in 1952, 26-year-old Peggy was described like this: “She is not a star; she never could be. Her stocks in trade are a warm, sometimes strident, voice, a pair of nimble feet, a stimulating smile, and a figure of considerable merit. Yet without her, and other backstagers like her, entertainment as we know it would collapse overnight. She is the indisputable unit of which a show is made, the foil, the prop, the silk-and-tinsel background against which the star gleams his brightest.” Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/hoofer-soubrette-and-nudie-cutie-...

MOON AND MORRIS REVUE Co. Formed in mid-1926 by English-born dancers and comedians George Moon and Daniel Morris, the Moon and Morris Revue Company presented a combination of revue sketches and vaudeville. The troupe included several well-established and high-profile performers such as former Famous Diggers comedian, Ed Warrington (who wrote much of the material) and Alec Kellaway. The troupe is known to have still been performing around Australia and New Zealand in 1929. Formed in mid-1926 by English-born simultaneous dancers George Moon and Daniel Morris, the Moon and Morris Revue Company presented a combination of revue sketches and vaudeville. Much of the troupe's repertoire was written by its director, Ed Warrington, who had previously been associated with Pat Hanna's Famous Diggers. However, the company did occasionally stage refusals, with two of the more popular being My Mountain Maid and Dad, Choom and Co. In addition to Warrington, the troupe initially boasted several well-established and high-profile performers, notably Alec Kellaway, Durham Marcel, Nell Fleming, Irene Vando, and Kathleen Howard. In reporting on the company's Brisbane debut in 1926, the Brisbane Courier records: "The current offering, Wit, and Wisdom go with a swing from the first to the final curtain. It is a potpourri of dancing, music, and song, backed up by clever ballet and colorful stage settings, and through it all Messrs. Moon and Morris have infused a series of skits that bristle with fun. This quaint pair long ago danced their way into the hearts of Brisbane audiences, but there seems no end to the diversity of their dancing and this week they introduce much that is new" (19 July 1926, 9). Moon and Morris temporarily disbanded their troupe at the end of September in order to appear with Elton Black's New Follies at the Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane. Several members of their troupe were also engaged by Black, notably George Moon Jnr and Nell Fleming. Although the company is known to have toured Australia on the Fullers' circuit in 1929 (E: 11 Dec. 1929, 30), no location details have yet been established. Source: ozvta.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/moon-and-morris-revu...

Empire Theatre Built in 1911, rebuilt in an art deco style in 1933 following a fire, and finally restored and reopened in 1997, the Empire Theatre has served as an entertainment hub for Toowoomba and the surrounding areas for over 100 years, playing an integral part in the cultural development of the region. The heritage-listed theatre is a building with rich history and fine architecture, including the grand proscenium arch, decorative sconces, original brick walls in the foyers, and art-deco style lighting. With modern seating for 1565 people, the theatre continues to receive countless commendations from patrons and performers. Source: www.empiretheatre.com.au/about-us/#:~:text=Built%20in%201....