Edgley International
Encyclopedia
Edgley International is a theatre and concert promotions company from Australia
, first started in the 1930s. It has also been known as Edgley & Dawe Attractions, Edgley Ventures, and Michael Edgley International. The company is noted for bringing to Australia many foreign acts not previously seen in the country, particularly dance companies from Russia
.
brothers Eric Edgley and Clem Dawe were invited to Australia in 1920 by J&N Tait to appear in a production of Sinbad the Sailor
at King's Theatre, Melbourne. Born Eric and Clem White, they changed their names in their early years to stage name
s, considering that "White" was uninteresting. The partnership later toured Australia for theatre manager J. C. Williamson
and played in shows including Robinson Crusoe, Love Lies and So This Is Love. Eric married in 1925, was widowed in 1930 and remarried in 1940. Throughout this period he and Clem toured Australasia, the United Kingdom
and South Africa
, doing shows under various arrangements, and moving from performers to promoters.
In 1951 they moved to Perth, Western Australia
to manage His Majesty's Theatre. They took a lease on the venue in 1954 and Clem died the following year. In 1958 the company purchased His Majesty's and undertook extensive renovation work. From the early 1960s Eric arranged tours to Australasia from Russian
performing troupes including the Bolshoi Ballet
, the Georgian State Dance Company
and the Moscow Variety Theatre. Edgley also promoted local talent including the West Australian Ballet
.
Eric died in 1967 and management of the company was taken over his then 23-year-old son Michael. The Moscow State Circus
tour in 1968 attracted an audience of 1.2 million and grossed more than $7 million. Russian ballet and theatre ensembles returned to Australia under the Edgley banner in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988.
(1983).
The company has staged shows in Hong Kong
, Singapore
, Korea
, Taiwan
, England
and the United States
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, first started in the 1930s. It has also been known as Edgley & Dawe Attractions, Edgley Ventures, and Michael Edgley International. The company is noted for bringing to Australia many foreign acts not previously seen in the country, particularly dance companies from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Origins
English vaudevilleVaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
brothers Eric Edgley and Clem Dawe were invited to Australia in 1920 by J&N Tait to appear in a production of Sinbad the Sailor
Sinbad the Sailor
Sinbad the Sailor is a fictional sailor from Basrah, living during the Abbasid Caliphate – the hero of a story-cycle of Middle Eastern origin...
at King's Theatre, Melbourne. Born Eric and Clem White, they changed their names in their early years to stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
s, considering that "White" was uninteresting. The partnership later toured Australia for theatre manager J. C. Williamson
J. C. Williamson
James Cassius Williamson was an American actor and later Australia's foremost theatrical manager, founding J. C. Williamson Ltd....
and played in shows including Robinson Crusoe, Love Lies and So This Is Love. Eric married in 1925, was widowed in 1930 and remarried in 1940. Throughout this period he and Clem toured Australasia, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, doing shows under various arrangements, and moving from performers to promoters.
In 1951 they moved to Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to manage His Majesty's Theatre. They took a lease on the venue in 1954 and Clem died the following year. In 1958 the company purchased His Majesty's and undertook extensive renovation work. From the early 1960s Eric arranged tours to Australasia from Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
performing troupes including the Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Ballet
The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies, however it only achieved worldwide acclaim by the early 20th century, when Moscow became the...
, the Georgian State Dance Company
Georgian National Ballet
The Georgian National Ballet was the first professional state dance company in Georgia. Founded by Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili in 1945, it was initially named as the Georgian State Dance Company...
and the Moscow Variety Theatre. Edgley also promoted local talent including the West Australian Ballet
West Australian Ballet
The West Australian Ballet is the premier ballet dance company of Western Australia and is based in Perth at His Majesty's Theatre, Western Australia. The company was founded in 1952 by Madame Kira Bousloff and is one of the oldest ballet companies in Australia. Artistic directors have included...
.
Eric died in 1967 and management of the company was taken over his then 23-year-old son Michael. The Moscow State Circus
Moscow State Circus
The title “Moscow State Circus” is used for a variety of circuses. Most commonly, it refers to one of the two circus buildings in Moscow, the “” and the “Bolshoi Circus” , or to traveling shows which may or may not be directly related to Russia.The Russian Circus rose to world acclaim during the...
tour in 1968 attracted an audience of 1.2 million and grossed more than $7 million. Russian ballet and theatre ensembles returned to Australia under the Edgley banner in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988.
Recent years
Edgley now has broad interests in the film industry and venue management. Film productions include The Man From Snowy River (1982) and Phar LapPhar Lap (film)
Phar Lap is a 1983 film about the Australian racehorse Phar Lap. The film starred Tom Burlinson and was written by famous Australian playwright David Williamson.-Plot:...
(1983).
The company has staged shows in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Notable family members
- Eric Edgley (1899-1967).
- Edna Edgley (1910-2000. née Luscombe). Dancer. Eric's second wife, married in 1940
- Clem Dawe. (?-1955)
- Phillip Edgley (1930-1999), Eric's son by his first marriage. Stage and television performer in Western Australia. Was an early newsreader and host of TVWTVWTVW can mean:*TVW, a Seven Network owned station in Perth, Western Australia*TVW, a public affairs network in the state of Washington*"tvw", the false branding callsign of WISC-TV's digital subchannel and Madison, Wisconsin's MyNetworkTV affiliate...
's first variety show called Spotlight with Rolf HarrisRolf HarrisRolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
. Spotlight premiered on TVW's opening night on 16 October 1959. - Michael Edgley (born 1943), entrepreneur. Son of Eric and Edna.
- Jeni Edgley, entrepreneur and author. Former wife of Michael.
- Gigi EdgleyGigi EdgleyGigi Edgley is an Australian actress and recording artist. She is best known for her roles as Chiana on the series Farscape and Lara Knight in Rescue: Special Ops.-Early life:...
, film and television actor. Daughter of Michael and Jeni.