Patti Allen's
Theatre Royal
Margaret Hennessy, known as “Australia’s Vera Lynne” sang six shows per night in Gold Coast hotels as a teenager, with a weekly radio broadcast. This led to music hall, several TV variety shows, and becoming the first Queensland artist to have her own TV program. “Take 6”.
Dennis Price accompanies Patti on stage, on the keyboard and occasionally joining in vocally with his wife.
Birmingham born Dennis started his career on stage as one of Tommy Steele’s Steelmen and appeared in the film the Tommy Steele Story and was Managing Director for the singing Star for 3 years.
Dennis has also performed with the ‘Polka Dots’ and with many American greats including Bob Hope, Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee. He also backed Judy Garland when the late great star sang at the London Palladium. After coming to Australia, Dennis became Musical Director for Kamal. He has also appeared with performers such as Dick van Dyke, Toni Lamond and Jerry and the Pacemakers. Naturally he is being kept busy as Musical director to his wife Patti.
Audience reaction to the show include “great entertainment by great vaudeville troupers” “Loads of talent” and “the best live shows I’ve seen in years. – Taken from Country Arts, WA.
All four performers were honoured in September 2002 by invited participation in a celebration performance.
“The Way We Were”, for the Brisbane Festival, celebrating Queenslands outstanding entertainers
over the past 100 years.
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History &Memories
of
Theatre Royal
History of Theatre Royal
The Theatre Royal in Elizabeth Street, Brisbane, began its days as the Hotel Victoria when G.B. Mason produced the first concert on stage in 1863.
It has such a following that he decided to expand a little and opened Mason’s Concert Hall in the same hotel in 1865.
It then became known as the Queensland Theatre until on April 18, 1881, after renovations, the doors were thrown open and the Theatre Royal was born.
During these renovations a sliding roof was installed – which was a boon on hot nights but caused a bit of a scatter when it rained.
On Boxing Day of 1948 three ex-servicemen, George Wallace, Laurie Smith and Jimmy Wallace (no relation) leased the Royal and so began another era of vaudeville in Brisbane’s history.
Some of the names of the performers from the early days are sure to ring a bell with our older theatre-goers.
The original George Wallace senior was a great favourite of the crowds as of course was his son George junior.
Then there was Buster Fiddess, Eddie Edwards, Doris Whimp, Roy Rene (Moe), Jackie Ellison and Patti Allen.
Other great entertainers appeared on stage including Bobby Limb, Barry Crocker, Toni Lamond, Sabrina and even the Horrie Dargie Quintet.
The last show must have been quite and emotional time for everyone on and off the stage.
Saturday, December 12 1959 was the final performance with the entertainers walking off stage down into the audience to shake hands with many of the staunch theatre goes who had enjoyed some wonderful top class vaudeville over the years.
The Theatre Royal building was then used as a series of nightclubs until at the end of 1986 the echoes of the past were drowned out by the sound of jackhammers and demolition machinery.
The final act was over...
Memories of Theatre Royal
Memories of Theatre Royal revives classic music hall. Over about 100 minutes, the four person cast present the traditional variety fare of short singing, dancing and comedy acts, combined with numbers from modern musical theatre like ‘Phantom of the Opera’.
Director/Producer Patti Allen holds Best Entertainer and Best Vocalist awards in Queensland, and receives rave notices in the UK as ‘Bloody Mary’ in South Pacific. Patti has starred in the UK vaudeville circuit, and Australian TV variety shows such as Bert Newton’s National Daytime Show in Melbourne.
Delores Rose, billed in true music hall style as a “multi-talented soubrette”, lives fully up to the title with her singing, dancing and comedienne abilities. Delores starred for 12 years in George Wallace’s Theatre Royal in Brisbane and on TV. Later, she helped raise funds for the Brisbane Children’s Hospital with her show, “Roll back the Years”.