Perth Voice Interactive

Theatre is society’s political and social barometer says Ivan King.

The veteran curator at His Majesty’s Museum of Performing Arts says it’s one of the reasons he’s so passionate about preserving and promoting WA’s theatrical history.

People don’t think things happened in WA, he says, and he hopes the exhibition Comedy and Tragedy will change that perspective.

When African-American singer turned social activist Paul Robeson arrived in Australia in 1958 promoting equal rights for Aboriginal people—who at the time counted as fauna in the national census—he was followed by ASIO and head-butted the Menzies government that was determined to silence him.

“He sang on the back of a truck outside [Midland railway] because he was not allowed on government property,” Mr King says.

Flamboyant

When flamboyant Sunraysia entrepreneur Jack De Garis moved to WA in the 1920s he mixed publicity for his dried fruit with that for his musical.

“People were confused and bought his dried fruit and the show opened to an empty house,” Mr King recalls.

Sir Ian McKellen—Gandalf, Richard III, Magneto, etc—dropped into the museum when last in town and Angela Lansbury was so impressed during her recent visit she dragged her New York manager back.

Rescuing a horde of photos from a defunct vaudeville joint run by Michael Edgley’s dad and uncle in 1978 started what has become a life pursuit for actor and singer King.

His twin passion for Perth’s built heritage dates back to the 1960s, when he was part of a small band trying to stem the haemmhorage of glorious buildings falling to the wrecking ball.

One of the few remaining, the former Public Trustee, is now an uber-trendy bar/restaurant, which plays on its heritage credentials. A smattering of other Goldrush-era buildings are also coveted for their historic cachet.

“If St Georges Terrace had not been used as a drag strip for bulldozers we could have six or seven Brookfields,” Mr King sighs, wistfully.

The museum, now in its 11th year, recently took charge of its 40,000th item, a marionette from West Perth’s Nutshell Puppet Theatre.

Behind the scenes, shelves overflow with photographs, programs, posters, sound recordings, videos, scrapbooks, designs, scores and sheet music.

Costumes worn by opera singer Joan Sutherland and ballerina Margot Fonteyn along with actors Judy Davis, Debbie Reynolds and Dame Edna Everage are amongst the impressive collection.

Waiting in the wings is Mr King’s 53rd exhibition, Ladies of the Chorus, a mouthwatering collection of more than 120 photographs of WA chorus girls, now grandmothers and great-grandmothers (the tales they could tell of those swinging days!).

In the movies it’s the chorus girls who replace the suddenly ill leading lady, saving the show and going on to become a star. But that’s Hollywood, Mr King says: “This exhibition applauds those who didn’t.”

Comedy and Tragedy is on until July 8, when Ladies of the Chorus will step up to the boards.

Entry is gold coin donation—or an item of memorabilia.

“At the moment I’m desperate for concert parties during WWI,” Mr King says.

by JENNY D’ANGER