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WYN LESLIE'S PIERROTS

AUSTRALIAN VARIETY THEATRE ARCHIVE: RESEARCH NOTES

See last page for citation, copyright and last updated details.

(1907-1910) After ending his year-long association with Harry Primrose's London Pierrots in mid-1907, singer and

actor Wyn Leslie returned to Brisbane and set about establishing his own troupe. The resulting ensemble of pierrot

performers made its debut at the Band Stand in the riverside township of Hamilton on 7 October. The debut line-up

comprised Teddy Page, Nellie Holden, Leslie Barclay, Theodore, Ethel Templeton (pianist), and Leslie himself. Other

artists were brought in over the course of the season. The shows, which initially comprised individual turns, duos,

trios, quartettes, sketches, farces and concerted numbers, later included moving pictures and children's competitions.

Poor turnouts over the latter December period forced Leslie to abandon the season. The Pierrots soon afterwards

played several river cruises aboard the S.S. Emerald before undertaking an extensive tour through regional

Queensland. The itinerary took in all the major centres along the coast as far as north as Townsville (and possibly

Cairns). Many minor inland townships and other major centres like Charters Towers were also visited. Leslie returned

to Brisbane in June 1909 to tour the suburbs with a likely new line-up. After a break, which saw Leslie work as a solo

act, the Pierrots was revived for one last regional Queensland tour in 1910 (ca. Feb-Nov.).

► See also: Wyn Leslie • Harry Primrose's London Pierrots [Pierrot Entertainers] • Hamilton Band Stand

(Hamilton, Brisbane)

• Wyn Leslie is thought to have left the Harry Primrose's London Pierrots during its North Queensland tour.

Although his last confirmed appearance was in Gympie on 14 May 1907 he likely remained with them until June

or even early-July. His earliest known appearance with the troupe was in Maitland, New South Wales, in April

1906.

Brisbane Courier 5 Oct. 1907, 2.

• Leslie's season at the Hamilton Band Stand took advantage of the reputation he'd established when the Primrose

Pierrots played there the previous summer (Dec. 1906-Apr. 1907). Interestingly, Leslie's opening nights may have

been staged without a licence. A report from the Hamilton Town Council meeting of 8 October records that Harry

Primrose still retained the lease and that the Council was unaware of any transfer having taken place. No action

seems to have made against Leslie so he Primrose likely came to a mutual agreement.

• In early November 1907 Primrose felt obliged to make a public

announcement in the Brisbane Courier stating that he was "in no way

connected with others calling themselves Pierrots." He refers to his

company as "Harry Primrose's Original London Pierrots" (7 Nov. 1907, 2).

• The last advertisement for the Hamilton season was published on 4 January

1908.

• Wyn Leslie received unwanted attention in early January 1908 when one of

his former artists, Theodore, sued him for wages owed. The court

proceedings were covered by the Truth (12 January 1908).

• Leslie chartered the S.S. Emerald for at least three Brisbane River cruises.

The first was given on 29 January, followed by 4 and 26 February. The

Emerald's owners, the Humpybong Company, also engaged his troupe for

several Sunday cruises to Redcliffe. These coincided with sacred and

rational concerts at the Redcliffe pier.

Truth (Brisbane) 12 Jan. 1908, 5.

https://ozvta.com/practitioners-l/

https://ozvta.com/genres/

https://ozvta.com/theatres-qld/5/

• 1908/1909 Queensland tour: The tour started in March or early April and ended in mid-December. Towns

confirmed as having been visited were: Nambour, Gympie, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Mackay,

Townsville and Charters Towers. Smaller centres included Yandina, Woombye (Nambour region); and

Walkerston, Marian, Mirani and Hatton (in the Mackay region).

Although newspaper coverage during the tour is somewhat sparse, it appears that the shows were produced either

as busking entertainment or in traditional venues (theatres, Schools of Arts etc). The alfresco entertainments were

typically presented in a favourable street location, with some common sites being outside hotels or post offices,

for example. Often a show held in a traditional venue was presented in combination with a dance.

Interestingly, the only performer identified to date as being in the involved in the 1908/1909 Queensland tour

(apart from Leslie) was ventriloquist/conjurer Herr Treveener. Some newspapers record that local singers and

performers were engaged during the tour, which further suggests that the touring troupe may have comprised only

a few professionals.

• Brisbane (1909): Few details are yet known about the 1909 Brisbane suburban circuit that Leslie organised. The

opening show was on 29 June at the West End School of Arts. Other suburbs and venues identified in advertising

around this time were Albion (Albion Public Hall), Woolloongabba (Alliance Hall), and Sandgate (Town Hall).

By September Leslie was appearing around Brisbane and Ipswich as a solo performer, which suggests that his

suburban tour may have lasted only until July or August at the latest.

• Queensland 1910: The earliest confirmed shows for this tour began in Maryborough sometime around 12 March

according to the Maryborough Chronicle (26 Mar. 1910, 4). This suggests that the tour may well have begun in

February. The last recorded show was in Mackay on 14 November. This again leads one to suspect that the tour

probably continued into December at least.

Artists Engaged:

1907:

1908:

Teddy Page (comedian/monologue entertainer), Nellie Holden (singer), Leslie Barclay (singer), Theodore

(juggler), Ethel Templeton (pianist), Jim Knowles, Kitty Deverney, Miss Burdett, Miss Kena, Percy

Halstyne, Claude Spalikoff (lightning sketch artist), Mr W. Neilson.

- Biograph operator: Mr J. Clark.

Brisbane: Wyn Leslie, Will Hopkins, Les Barclay, Claude Spalikoff, Alf Francis, Tom Childs.

Queensland tour: Wyn Leslie, Herr Treveener (ventriloquist/magician).

1909 / 1910: No details to date.

Teddy Page: Billed as "'late of the Gaiety Theatre, London, one of England's Greatest Monologue Entertainers, also

refined comedian and dancer."

Nellie Holden: "Original Pierrette of Australia (late of the English Pierrots, Melbourne), a dainty artist in charming

ballads and coon ditties."

Leslie Barclay: "Light baritone (late of Harry Rickards)."

Theodore: "Tired juggler, in his own comedy and ariel juggling sensations."

Ethel Templeton: Her surname is wrongly identified as Appleton or Applington in some advertisements and reviews.

Miss Burdett: Her given name has been recorded as Lena or Laurie. Although one review refers to the Burdett sisters,

no other reference to two Burdetts being in the troupe has been found.

Theodore


Nellie Holden

Prahran Telegraph (Melbourne)

21 Jan. 1911, 5.

1907

Sydney Morning Herald 19 Sept. 1907, 7.

Age (Melbourne) 20 Sept. 1907, 9.

Telegraph (Brisbane) 7 Oct. 1907, 7.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article170597765

cont...



Gordon and Gotch (Queensland) Ltd. "Map of Brisbane and suburbs, 1920."

Source: National Library of Queensland.






https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19394536





Brisbane Courier 7 Nov. 1907, 2.

















Brisbane Courier 7 Dec. 1907, 2.

Telegraph (Brisbane) 18 Dec. 1907, 7.






















1908

Telegraph (Brisbane) 4 Jan. 1908, 13






Brisbane Courier 29 Jan. 1908, 2.

Brisbane Courier 1 Feb. 1908, 2.

S.S. Emerald

1

Source: Aussiemmobs at Flickr





1 The S.S. Emerald operated first out of Brisbane and later from Perth. In an email to the Aussie~mobs website, Geoff

Eastwood writes: "The Emerald was designed by Walter Reeks and she was built by George Ellis in Rozelle Bay (Sydney). She

was hulked at Fremantle in 1951 and still existent in 1959." [Sighted 29/10/2019]

https://flickr.com/photos/hwmobs/48305346727/



Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser (Nambour,

Qld) 7 Mar. 1908, 4.


Sydney Sportsman 25 Mar. 1908, 2.


Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett

Advertiser (Qld) 4 Apr. 1908, 5.

Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser (Qld) 11 Apr. 1908, 3.


Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld) 13 July 1908, 4.


Northern Miner (Charters Towers, Qld) 11 Nov. 1908, 1.


Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld) 9 Dec. 1908, 3.


Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) 22 Dec. 1908, 2.

NB: Wyn Leslie only







1909

Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld) 8 March 1909, 3.

Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser (Nambour, Qld)

3 Apr. 1909, 4.

Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) 3 June 1909, 2.

Brisbane Courier 11 June 1909, 8.

Brisbane

Truth (Brisbane) 4 July 1909, 12.


Brisbane Courier 26 July 1909, 2.


Brisbane Courier (Qld) 28 June 1909, 6.


Truth (Brisbane) 4 July 1909, 12.


Albion Public Hall (1909)

Source: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Sandgate Town Hall [1]

Kate Street

Source: Digital Archive of

Queensland Architecture

Alliance Hall, Woolloongabba (1912)

Brisbane Courier 18 May 1912, 12. NB: This is currently the only known photograph of the hall.



1910

Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld) 26 Mar. 1910, 4.


Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld) 28 Mar. 1910, 5.

Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser (Qld) 13 Apr. 1910, 4.




Cairns Post (Qld) 9 Aug. 1910, 4.

Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld) 14 Nov. 1910, 8.

Last known advertisement and concert.

Australian Variety Theatre Archive: Research Notes

First published by Clay Djubal: 2/11/2019

NB: The URL for this PDF will change each time it is updated. If you wish to link to this record please use the following:

Australian Variety Theatre Archive • https://ozvta.com/genres/

[see Pierrot Entertainments]

The information within these pages should be considered a snapshot only. It is intended as both a basis for further

investigation and for future storage purposes.

Any works snagged or transcribed from other sources remain the copyright of their respective authors/publishers.

The authorship and/or original publication details are provided and these should be cited (not the AVTA).*

New information is continuously being made available as more newspapers are digitised by Trove (Australian National

Library Digitised Newspapers resource)

* Materials published in this entry will be removed if requested by the copyright owner. Please contact the AVTA.

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