In April 1963 the press excitedly announced that Harald Bowden. an executive of J.C. Williamson’s, had returned from a trip to New York with a contact for ‘The Firm' to present A Funny Thing ... in Australia. Then this country’s major theatrical producers, Williamson’s traditionally spiced their shows with imported ‘stars' – though most of them were merely tiny twinkles in Broadway and the West End. Forum was no exception.
The role of Pseudolus went to Jack Collins. Through the program trumpeted his ‘700 network TV shows, 26 Broadway credits and major film work’, Mr Collins was a very minor player in his home country, albeit a competent comedian. Jack Gardner, another American of modest achievement, was chosen to play Hero. Canadian baritone Don McManus, a G&S regular, played Miles Gloriosus. Our Hysterium and Senex were both English — Clifford Mollison and Richard Walker respectively. Mollison had starred in farce here in the 1950s, and Walker was warmly remembered for his G&S roles and as Doolittle in the Australian production of My Fair Lady. The rest of the cast were local favourites: veteran vaudevillian Will Mahoney (Erronius), Bob Hornery (Lycus), Geraldene Morrow (Philia) and Pauline Garrick (Domina). Also joining in the mayhem were Max Phipps, Judith Roberts, Buster Skeggs and Rae Rondell. Berry Pounder choreographed and Brian Buggy conducted. The director was an Australian, Freddie Carpenter who boasted a long list of West End credits.
When Carpenter had trouble finding six local girls with the sex appeal expected of courtesans, Williamson's advertised for hopefuls to attend a much publicised cattle call. This led one sceptical commentator to suggest that Carpenter would find what he wanted if he ventured into Sydney's three thriving drag shows. There was also a wistful comment that the show would have provided a perfect showcase for the legendary ribaldry of Stiffy and Mo, who had dominated Australian vaudeville stages in the Twenties.
After rehearsals in Melbourne, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum had its Australian premiere at the Theatre Royal in Sydney on 18 July 1964. Audiences loved it, and most of the critics agreed. The Sun’s Norman Kessell praised its 'unabashed exuberance' and its 'constant simmer of merriment, while the Telegraph’s Denis O'Brien called it 'bawdily, glamorously, boisterously good' and made special mention of Bob Hornery: 'His absorption in his role is an object lesson for young actors.' But The Australian’s Francis Evers grumbled that the show 'scraped the bottom of the barrel of vaudeville and music hall' while, perhaps predictably, The Catholic Weekly decreed: 'Too great an emphasis on sex rules it out of the General Exhibition class. It’s strictly Adults Only'. Forum clocked up 16 weeks in Sydney and 17 in Melbourne, where the reviews were a little more guarded. 'This is not a show for dad, mum and the kids,' warned Isabel Carter in The Herald. 'If it were taken to the dry cleaners, I doubt whether much would come back.' 'No wonder the Roman Empire fell,' said Leonard Radic in The Age. The tour ended with a four-week run at Her Majesty's in Adelaide. Both Jack Collins and Jack Gardner returned to relative obscurity in the United States, though Collins did achieve a Forum credit on Broadway: a single performance as Senex, when he stepped in for an unwell Lew Parker on the opening night of the 1972 revival.
Since Forum's first Australian outing, it’s become a staple of amateur companies, but we've also enjoyed a few notable professional productions. The first of these was in 1966 in Perth, where Edgar Metcalfe starred as Pseudolus in a jaunty National Theatre presentation, which he also directed. Perth scored again in 1981 when His Majesty's Theatre hosted the ebullient Noel Ferrier as Pseudolus in a production directed by Jenny McNae. In 1977 Alastair Duncan staged the show at Sydney's Marian Street Theatre. His notable cast included Johnny Lockwood (Pseudolus), Peter Whitford (Hysterium), Reg Gillam (Senex), Tony Sheldon (Hero) and Jennifer McGregor (Philia). Phillip Scott was musical director.
Jon English was Pseudolus in Simon Gallaher's splendidly irreverent Essgee version of Forum. After opening in Melbourne on New Year's Eve 1998, the show enjoyed an extensive romp around Australia and New Zealand through most of 1999. English's accomplices included Drew Forsythe (Senex), John Bowles (Hero), Helen Donaldson (Philia), Joan Brockenshire (Domina), Tommy Dysart (Lycus), Jonathan Biggins (Hysterium) and Basil Clarke (Erronius). Clarke was then a sprightly 86; it was his last stage role. Craig Schaefer directed.
So here we go again – with another fine A Funny Thing ... full of fun. As always, Prologus is ready to bid us welcome, ever eager to honour his promise: 'We shall employ every device we know in our desire to divert you ...' Divert on! Grab your toga! Bring on the lovers, liars and clowns! Comedy tonight!
Plautus would be proud!
