Eddie Perfect’s “Tivoli Lovely” Revives Australia’s Golden Age of Vaudeville
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A new musical, “Tivoli Lovely,” premiering November 7th at Perth’s Heath Ledger theatre, aims to resurrect the vibrant and often bawdy world of Australian vaudeville, a cornerstone of the nation’s entertainment history. The production, featuring over 60 performers and spearheaded by Eddie Perfect, is both a tribute to the past and a training ground for the next generation of Australian musical theatre talent.
Perfect, known for his adaptation of Beetlejuice, is currently fine-tuning the show with students from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts – his alma mater. “It’s a huge show,” Perfect laughs, describing the complex production involving tap routines, comedy sketches, and even a Scottish jig. “We’ve got 64 people on stage between the cast and the orchestra, and we’re refining and rewriting it as we go. It’s wild and very exciting.”
developed over three years with support from the Minderoo foundation, “Tivoli Lovely” follows an 85-year-old former chorus girl and a teenager as they uncover the story of the Eleven Kevins, a celebrated dance act. Perfect explains his motivation: “As I’ve gotten older I think a lot more about where our theatre came from. I wanted to resurrect that world. It’s a love letter to Australia’s theatrical past.”
A Glittering, Bawdy Institution
The Tivoli circuit, originating in the 1890s with theatres in Sydney and Melbourne, quickly became a national phenomenon.For decades, it was the premier destination for live entertainment, attracting both local and international stars. “It was the place to be,” says historian Brian Fotheringham. “if you were anyone, you’d come for.”
Comedians like George Wallace Sr and Roy “Mo” Rene were central to the Tivoli’s appeal. Rene, with his distinctive gravelly voice and working-class persona, created the character Mo McCackie, a national folk hero whose catchphrases – “Strike me lucky!” and “Don’t come the raw prawn with me!” – entered the Australian lexicon.
Alongside the comedians,performers like Jenny Howard,who arrived from England in 1940,rose to prominence. During World War II, Howard led a troupe of Tivoli girls on tour through the Northern Territory and Queensland, performing for soldiers on makeshift stages. “She kept spirits alive,” Fotheringham says, “and stayed in Australia for the rest of her life.”
Breaking Barriers and Celebrating Diversity
The Tivoli also provided a platform for groundbreaking artists. Winifred Atwell,a Trinidad-born pianist,defied the White Australia policy to achieve phenomenal success with her honky-tonk hit,”Black and White Rag.” She toured the Tivoli circuit to sold-out crowds and eventually became an Australian citizen. “Audiences adored her,” King recalls.
From Stage to Screen and Beyond
By the late 1950s, the Tivoli’s influence began to wane as television emerged as a dominant form of entertainment. Audiences increasingly opted to watch familiar faces from the theatre in their living rooms. The circuit’s performers dispersed, finding work in early Australian television, RSL clubs, and cabaret venues. “What I miss most are the raunchy, gutsy people,” King laments. “They were fabulous characters, the real heartbeat of the Tivoli.”
Perfect’s musical aims to capture the spirit of this fading era, set just before the final curtain in 1954. He emphasizes that “Tivoli Lovely” is not intended as a ancient re-enactment. “I didn’t want the show to be a museum piece,” he says. “It’s not a history lesson but something entertaining and emotional in its own right. There are generations of performers who don’t know what came before. We need to keep telling the stories of our past. They’re so likely to be forgotten.”
