Australian Variety Theatre Archive

*  = see “Digger Field Theatres & Concert Parties” page
† = see “Juvenile Troupes” page
^ = see Genres page [Pierrot Entertainers]

For insight into the movements of performers between various troupes see:
Performers and Associated Troupes: Revue, Revusical and Musical Comedy Companies
(Last updated: 5/04/2014)

 ˜˜˜

A

• Ada Delroy Co [aka Delroy-Bell Company]
  
• Ada Juneen English Burlesque & Comedy Co
• Ada Reeve Vaudeville Co (Perth, 1924)
• Airistocrats    [aka Aristocrats of the Air]
• Al Bruce & His Rosebuds
• Alf Lawton’s All Nations Co
• All Digger Co *  [aka Mademoiselle Mimi Diggers]
• Alma’s All-Star Co
• Amateur Frolics Co *  [aka No 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps]
• American Burlesque Co
  
• American Vaudeville Co [aka American Vaudeville Stars / World’s Entertainers]
  
• Anzacs, The *
• Anzac Coves *
• Arrivals of 1922
  
• Arthur Hemsley’s Dandies
• Art Slavin Revue Co
• Australian Bushranging Bio & Specialty Co
  
• Australian Dandies, The *
• Australian Eleven Minstrel & Variety Co
• Australian Entertainers  [aka Bert Howard’s Australian Entertainers]
• Australian Flying Corps Concert Party *
• Australian Minstrel Co
• Australian Natives Vaudeville Co

B

• Bachelder’s Anglo-American Christy’s Minstrels
• Bain & Lawton’s Vaudeville Co
  
• Baldwin’s Butterfly Co
• Baltimore Minstrels [1]   [aka Amateur Baltimore Minstrels]
• Baltimore Minstrels [2]
• Barlow, Bromley, Buckley & Holly
• Beaufort Merrymakers, The *
  
• Bent & Bachelder’s Anglo-American Christy Minstrels
• Bert Le Blanc’s Travesty Stars
• Billy Cass Co
• Billy Maloney’s New Ideas
• Billy Maloney’s Scandals [1]
  
• Billy Maloney’s Scandals [2]
• Biograph & Trans-Atlantic Entertainers
• Black Diamonds Costume Comedy Co *
• Bletsoe’s Tabloid Musical Comedy Co
• Blondenette Lady Minstrels
• Blue Dandies, The *
• Blue Diamonds, The *
• Boomerangs, The *
  
• Boley’s Minstrels
• Bosley Vaudeville Co
• Brooklyn Entertainers, The
• Bruce Drysdale’s Citizen’s Concerts   [aka Drysdale’s Entertainers etc]
• Bryant’s All-Star Novelty Co
• Buckley & Holly’s Pleasure Party
• Buffalo Female Minstrels [aka Buffalo Female Minstrels & Sable Opera Co]
  

C

• California Minstrels
  
• Cameo Revue Co / The Gaieties
• Campbell’s Minstrels [1]
• Campbell’s Minstrels [2]
• Charles Godfrey Vaudeville Co
• Charlie Fanning’s Concert Co
• Cheer-Oh Girls *
  
• Cheevers, Kennedy & Bent’s Minstrels
• Christy’s Aerial Beauties
  
• Christy’s Minstrels [1]
• Christy’s Original Sable Opera Troupe
• Clark and Shine’s All-Star Co
• Classics of 1923  [aka Rawdon Blandford’s Classics of 1923 • Rawdon Blandford’s New English Comedy Co]
• Clay’s Waxworks & Vaudeville Co
  
• Cole’s Varieties
  
• Combination Serenaders, The
  
• Congo Minstrels, The
  
• Coo-ees, The *
• Cosmopolitan Band & Coloured Opera Troupe  [aka Coloured Opera Troupe]
• Courtiers Costume Comedy Co  [aka McCallum’s Courtiers]
  

D

• Dan Barry’s World-Wide Wonder Show
  
• Dan Tracey’s Vaudeville, Minstrel & Specialty Co
• Day in Dogtown Co, A
  
• Devereaux’s World’s Biotint Entertainers
  
• Diamond  Minstrel & Variety Co  [aka The Diamonds]
• Drolls, Th’  [aka Bert Rache’s Th’ Drolls]
  
• Dum Dum Dinkums *

E

• Edward Branscombe’s Dandies
• Edward Branscombe’s Jesters
  
• Elite Burlesque, Minstrel & Variety Co
• Ella Carrington’s Stray Leaves Combination
• Elton Black Revue Co  [aka Elton Black/Kate Howarde Revue Co]
• Elton Black’s New Follies
• Emerson & Wood’s Alabama Minstrels
• Emerson’s California Minstrels
• Emerson’s Minstrels
• Empties, The * [aka The M.T.s]
• English Glee & Burlesque Opera Co
  
• English Pierrot Entertainers [aka Famous Pierrots]
• Eric Masters’ Merry Whirls  [aka Eric Masters’ Maxims]
• Ethiopian Serenaders [2]

F

• Famous Diggers *  [aka Pat Hanna’s Famous Diggers]
• Faust Family
• F. Gayle Wyer’s Band Box Revue Co
• Field Artillery Pirates *
• Fisk Jubilee Singers
• Fitzgerald’s All Stars  [aka Fitzgerald Brothers Vaudeville, Dramatic and Musical Combination • Clifton-Vane Refined Vaudeville and Dramatic Co]
• Florack’s Federal Minstrels
  
• Flying Kangaroos, The *
• Follies, The [Hobart, 1920-1921]
  
• Fred Davys’ Bright Lights Co
• Frivolities of 1935
• Fullers’ American Revue Co
• Futurists, The [1]
• Futurists, The [2]

G

• Gaiety Vaudeville Co [Melbourne]
  
• Gallipoli Strollers, The [1] *
• Gallipoli Strollers, The [2] *
• Gay Crusaders, The
  
• George Sorlie Vaudeville & Revue Co
  
• George Wallace Revue Co
• Georgia Minstrels [1]  [aka Corbyn’s Original Georgia Minstrels]
  
• Georgia Minstrels [2]   [aka C. B. Hicks’ Original Georgia Minstrels]
• Gibbons’ Minstrels
• Globetrotters, The
• Graham Mitchell’s Jesters
• Graham Mitchell’s Serenaders
• Green Diamonds, The *
• Gum Leaves, The *  [aka Australian Depot Concert Party]

H

• Harry Borradale’s Sparklers
  
• Harry Clay’s No 1 Musical Comedy Co
• Harry Cogill’s New Musical Comedy Co  [aka Harry Cogill’s Federal Minstrel Co / Bright Lights Co]
• Harry Primrose’s London Pierrots ^ [aka London Pierrots / Manly Pierrots]
• Harry Ross Revue Co  [aka The Joybringers]
• Hill’s World’s Entertainers
• Hiscocks’ Federal Minstrels
• Hudson’s Surprise Party
• Hugo’s Buffalo Minstrels
• Hussey, Kelly & Holly’s Celebrated Comedians
• Huxham’s Serenaders

I

• Ike Delavale Revue Co
• Issues Comedy Co *

J

• Jasper’s Pantomime Co
  
• Jim Gerald Revue Co  [aka Jim Gerald’s Miniature Musical Comedy Co]
• Jones’s Huge Surprise Party
• Jones’s Mammoth Moving Theatre [aka Jones’s Moving King Theatre]
• Josie Johnson’s Wonder Kids †
• Josie Johnson’s Pantomime Co [aka Howard & Johnson’s Pantomime Co]

K

• Kangaroos [2]*  [aka Australian Graves Detachment Concert Party]
  
• Kangaroo Koncert Kompany *
• Kelly & Leon’s Comedy Opera Co
  
• Kelly & Leon’s Minstrels
• Kenna’s Empire Minstrels
• Kookaburras, The [1] *
• Kookaburras, The [2] *
• Kookaburras, The [3] *
• K-Nuts, The

L

• La Feuillade, Peel & Weston’s Christy Minstrels
  
• Lawton, Dearin & Sayers’ Troubadours
• Lawton & Dearin’s Federal Minstrels & Comiques
  
• Lawton & Leslies’ All Nations Co
  
• League of Notions
  
• Leon & Cushman’s Minstrels
  
• Liddiard’s Lilliputians †
• Lizzie Hasting’s Minstrels
  
• Lizzie Hasting’s Picnic Party
• London Bioscope Co
• London Revels [aka Black and Northcote’s London Revels]
• London Vaudeville Stars [aka William Anderson’s London Vaudeville Stars]
• Lottie’s Royal Magnet Troupe
• Loyola’s Magnet Variety Troupe [aka Loyala & Wilson’s Magnet Troupe]
• Luxor Smilers  [aka Shafto’s Smilers]

M

• McAdoo’s Georgia Minstrels & Alabama Cakewalkers
  
• McAdoo’s Jubilee Singers
• Madge Cloherty’s Celebrities
  
• Matsa Vaudeville Co
• Merry Mascottes  [aka George Whitehead’s Merry Mascottes]
• Merrymakers, The *
• Mirthquakers, The
• Mo & His Merrymakers
• Moon & Morris Revue Co
• Mutoscope Biotint Co
• Myra Carden’s Magnet Co

N

• Nat Phillips’ Stiffy & Mo Co  [aka Nat Phillips Tabloid Musical Comedy Co]
• Nat Phillips’ Whirligigs Co
• New Ideas
• New York Serenaders [1]
• New York Serenaders [2]
• Night Birds, The *
• Nightingale Serenaders [1]
• Nightingale Serenaders [2]
• 1925 Minstrels

O

• O’Donnell & Ray’s Pantomime Co
  
• Old Time Minstrels [1929]
  
• Old Time Nigger Minstrels [1]  (Fullers)
• Old Time Nigger Minstrels [2]  (Fullers)

P

• Palais Royal Cabaret & Vaudeville Co
• Paragon Bellringers, The
• Perham Stars, The *  [aka The Aussies / No. 1 Command Depot Concert Party, 8 Battalion]
• Polite Vaudeville & Minstrel Co
  
• Pollard’s Lilliputians Opera Co [1] (1881-1886) †
• Pollard’s Lilliputians Opera Co [2] (1891-1905) †
  
• Pollard’s Juvenile Opera Co [3] (1907-1910) †
  
• Priddy’s Electric Marvels & Mammoth Specialty Combination
• Punchinellos [1]
• Punchinellos [2]

Q

• Queen’s Variety Troupe

R

• Radios, The  [aka Bohemia Radios / Fred Bluett’s Bohemia Radios]
  
• Revellers, The
  
• Richards’ Entertainers
• Richard Shafto’s Revels
• Royal Magnet Combination Troupe
• Royal Magnet Variety Troupe [1] 1872-1873
  
• Royal Magnet Variety Troupe [2] 1885-1885
  
• Royal Pantomime Co
• Royal Strollers [1] [aka Sydney James’ Pierrot Pie Co]
• Royal Strollers [2] [aka Charles Weston’s Royal Strollers]

S

• Sam Dearin’s Minstrels & Comiques
  
• San Francisco Minstrels [1] (1857-1862)
  
• San Francisco Minstrels [2] (1861-1862)
• Sentimental Blokes, The *
• Serenaders, The *
• Serenaders, The [1936]
• Shaw’s Entertainers [Shaw’s Merrymakers / The English Pierrots]
• Shipp’s Entertainers / Minstrels  [Edwin Shipp companies]
• Slade Murray’s Gaiety Burlesque Co [aka Slade Murray’s English Specialty Co]
• Smart Set, The [aka Smart Set Entertainers]
• Smart Set Diggers *
• Snapshots Revue Co
• Snowdrop Minstrels
• So and So’s, The [1] (Adelaide, 1920-1921 )
• So and So’s, The [2] (NSW, 1921 )
• So and So’s, The [3] (Perth/WA, 1922-1923)
• So and So’s, The [4] (Adelaide, 1925-1926)
• Southern Cross Comedy Co [aka Cass Mahomet’s Concert Party]
  
• Stanley McKay’s Gaieties
  
• Stanley McKay’s No 1 Pantomime Co
• Stanley McKay’s Pantomime Moving Theatre Co
• State Entertainers (Launceston)
• Sudholz’s Bio-Tableau & World’s Entertainers
• Sunbeam Pantomime Children ^
  
• Sunshine Kiddies, The [aka Rahilly-Brown’s Sunshine Kiddies] †
• Swastika Players, The

T

• Taits’ Variety Entertainers
  
• Ted Tutty’s Vaudeville Co
  
• Tivoli Frolics
• T.O.M.C.A.T.S.  (Charters Towers)
• Topics of 1925  [aka Colin Crane’s Topics of 1925]
• Totten’s Harmoneons
• Town Topics [1]
  
• Town Topics [2]
• Tracey & Adson’s Vaudeville, Comedy & Specialty Co
• Trilby Tourists, The
• Tropical Troubadours, The *
• Trump Cards Revue Co
• Tubby Stevens’ Tit-Bits Revue Co

U

• U.S. Minstrels [1]
• U.S. Minstrels [2]  [aka Weston’s U.S. Minstrels]

V

• Vaudeville Specialty Union
• Versatiles, The
  
• Verto Vaudeville Co [aka Myorama Vaudeville Combination]
  
• Verto’s Biotint & Novelty Co
• Veterans of Variety [1929]
  
• Vital & Electric Sparks Co [aka Bella Sutherland’s Vital Sparks Co / Bella Sutherland’s Musical & Specialty Co]
• Vogues and Vanities

W

• Walter George Sunshine Players
• Wanderers, The   [aka George Stephenson’s Wanderers]
• Wattle Birds, The *
• Weichard’s International Vaudeville Stars
• Western Wallabies  [aka Nat Hanley’s Western Wallabies]
• Weston & Hussey’s Minstrels
• Weston & La Feuillade’s Minstrels
• Whizz-bangs [2] *
  
• William Anderson’s London Vaudeville Stars
• Will’s Surprise Party
• Who’s Who Costume Revue Entertainers
• Wombats, The *
• World’s Animatograph Co
• World’s Entertainers [2]
• World’s Entertainers [3]
• World’s Entertainers [4] [aka Frank Reis’s World’s Entertainers]
• World’s Entertainers & Animatograph Co
• World’s Star Entertainers
• World’s Star Gaiety Co
• World’s Vaudeville Co
• Wyn Leslie’s Pierrots ^

Y

• Y.A.L. White Minstrels †  [Y.A.L. Boys / White Minstrels Revue Co]
• Ye Olde Englyshe Fayre Co [WA 1896/1897]
  
• Ye Olde Nigger Minstrels [Tivoli Celebrity Vaudeville]
• Y.M.C.A. Returned Soldiers’ Concert Party [1] *
  
• Y.M.C.A. Returned Soldiers’ Concert Party [2] *
  
• Young Australia League (Y.A.L.)

˚˚˚

Images L-R: Bletsoes’ Tabloid Musical Comedy Co; Georgia Minstrels, George Sorlie Revue Company; F. Gayle Wyer’s Band Box Revue Co.