stagesetting

The photo relates to Bobby Le Brun who was a comic and pantomime artist. He performed in George Sorlie's Musical Revue and after Sorlie's death ran the company alongside Grace Sorlie and his wife Grace Le Brun. Bobby Le Brun was born in Sydney in 1910 and began his career as a dancer in revue. After his Tivoli debut, he traveled widely with tent shows such as Kate Howard's Dramatic Players, Bartons Follies, and Sorlies Musical Revue. A versatile comic and pantomime Dame, he kept Sorlie's tent show on the road from 1949 until 1961 with the help of his wife Grace, a former dancer. He made the transition to television and club shows largely along the NSW Central Coast, was awarded an OAM in 1981, and died at his home in Newcastle in 1985. Date 1937 Source: collections.artscentremelbourne.com.au/#details=ecatalogu...

George Sorlie's Revue Mr, George Sorlie's 1938 Revue company is drawing large audiences to the modern marquee theatre, opposite Centenary Park in Ann Street. There will be a matinee at 2.30 p.m. to-day, when a change of program will be presented. 'The North China troupe,' in their daring acrobatic feats, George Hurd, Continental juggler, George Sorlie, the Three Marcelles, Ronnie Shand (comedian), the Moreni trio and the eight Sunkist girls are only a few of the outstanding attractions. Source: 10 Aug 1938, The Courier-Mail, Brisbane trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/41006873

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....

In the 1940s Brisbane was just a big country town and the thousands of Australian and American servicemen who suddenly poured into the camps and bases around the city and the other major centres provided an audience for mass entertainment and gave the experience a new intensity, whether it was ballroom dancing at Cloudland, cutting a rug at the Trocadero or enjoying vaudeville at the Cremorne. Source: www.ww2places.qld.gov.au/homefront/entertainment