Charles Zwar (10 April 1911 – 2 December 1989) was an Australian songwriter, composer, lyricist, pianist and music director who was largely associated with the British revue and musical comedy industries between the late-1930s and 1960s.

Life and work

Early life

The youngest son of Mr and Mrs Charles Zwar of Broadford, Victoria (Australia), Charles Zwar (Jnr) was born on 10 April 1911. He was later educated in the Melbourne suburb of Williamstown, attending North Williamstown State Primary and Williamstown High School. During his childhood Zwar developed a passion for music, and is reported to have been a student of Mr G. W. McKeown. After completing his education at North Williamstown State Primary and Williamstown High he undertook a degree in Law and Arts at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

, where he was in residence at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

from 1928 to 1932. He was frequently found at the piano in the student common room, making up topical songs and mixing the latest

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

tunes with classical music. Zwar was involved in student productions at the College and University as both a performer and music director. The earliest theatrical production he has been linked with was the 1933 revue ''Stude Prunes''.

Career beginnings in Australia

1933 also saw Zwar make his first appearance on radio, being part of a

3AR Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. History 1937: Predecessors an ...

programme of dance music that was interspersed with singing by Ella Riddell and comedy by Johnny Marks. Zwar's contributions saw him billed as a "novelty entertainer." His popularity with audiences saw him return to the airwaves several times over the next couple of months. His performances were not confined to the piano, however, with a Derby Week engagement at St Kilda seeing him billed as a singer. Zwar's growing reputation also saw him invited to contribute additional lyrics for

F. W. Thring Francis William Thring (2 December 1882 – 1 July 1936), better known as F. W. Thring, was an Australian film director, film producer, producer, and film exhibitor, exhibitor. He has been credited with the invention of the clapperboard. Early ...

's 1933 production of the T. Stuart Gurr and

Varney Monk Varney Monk (born Isabel Varney Desmond Peterson; 18 January 1892 – 7 February 1967) was an Australian pianist and composer, best known for writing the musicals '' Collits' Inn'' (1932) and ''The Cedar Tree'' (1934). ''Collits' Inn'' was descr ...

musical comedy ''

Collits' Inn Collits' Inn is a heritage-listed former inn and now functions, accommodation and restaurant at Hartley Vale Road, Hartley Vale, City of Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Pierce Collits and built in 1823. It is also known ...

''. Others involved in the creative aspects of the musical included

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...

and Jock McLeod. The following year Zwar contributed most of the music and lyrics for another university revue, ''Swots Next'' (18 April) while also collaborating with J. C. Bancks (creator of comic strip

Ginger Meggs ''Ginger Meggs'', Australia's most popular and longest-running comic strip, was created in the early 1920s by Jimmy Bancks. The strip follows the escapades of a red-haired prepubescent mischief-maker who lives in an inner suburban working-class ...

) on the musical comedy, '' Blue Mountain Melody'' (1934). Produced by

J. C. Williamson James Cassius Williamson (26 August 1845 – 6 July 1913) was an American actor and later Australia's foremost impresario, founding the J. C. Williamson's theatrical and production company. Born in Pennsylvania, Williamson moved with his fami ...

s, Zwar was given the opportunity to work closely with 'the Firm's' highly experienced music director, Andrew McGunn.

Move to the United Kingdom and later life

Zwar left Australia for Britain in 1936 on the same ship as children's author Isobel Ann Shead (1906–1985). They had met in Melbourne while Shead was working for the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

1933–1936, and later as presenter of a children's program on

3DB (Melbourne) 3DB was a Melbourne-based radio station that opened in 1927, changed its name to 3TT in 1988, and now operates on the FM band as KIIS 101.1. 3DB was one of Melbourne's most popular radio stations, topping the ratings for many decades.Jones, ...

. In 1938, they married in Surrey, England. Both succeeded in establishing careers there, with Shead appointed to a series high-profile positions with the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

, while Zwar carved out a career as a composer and musical director for musical comedies and revues that lasted more than three decades. Zwar and Shead are believed to have separated in the early 1950s. In 1955 he remarried, his second wife being Diana Plunkett (1918–1992), a theatrical technician and manager at the

Lyric Theatre Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

.Diana Zwar obituary.
''Independent'' 15 September 1992. Retrieved 4 January 2013. At the time of the marriage he was musical director of Sandy Wilson's musical ''The Buccaneer''. The couple had one child, a daughter. Zwar's longest and most successful collaboration was with writer/lyricist

Alan Melville Alan Melville (19 May 1910 – 18 April 1983) was a South African cricketer who played in 11 Tests from 1938 to 1949. He was born in Carnarvon, Northern Cape, South Africa and died at Sabie, Transvaal. Early life and cricket career Melville w ...

. He also wrote songs with Kenneth Leslie-Smith, Diana Morgan, Robert MacDermot (1910–1964) and Australian

Lance Mulcahy Lance Mulcahy (17 April 1931 – 26 January 1995) was an Australian-born composer of musicals and revue. Biography Mulcahy began his career in the 1950s writing for intimate revue, notably for the Phillip Street Theatre in Sydney. In the UK, he ...

. Although his professional career was almost exclusively in the United Kingdom, Zwar's music did make it to the USA. He is included, for example in the credits for the 1960 Broadway revue, '' From A to Z'' (Plymouth Theatre). Premiering on 20 April, the show also included contributions from

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

Jerry Herman Gerald Sheldon Herman (July 10, 1931December 26, 2019) was an American composer and lyricist, known for his work in Broadway theatre. One of the most commercially successful Broadway songwriters of his time, Herman was the composer and lyricis ...

and Jay Thompson. Zwar reconnected with the Australian theatre several times during the 1950s and 1960s, contributing material for such shows as ''Sweetest and Lowest: A Revue in Time'' ( Minerva Theatre, Sydney; 5 December 1947); ''Metropolitan Merry-Go-Round'' ( Metropolitan Theatre, Sydney; 12 February 1953); and the 1964

Phillip Theatre The Phillip Street Theatre (succeeded by the Phillip Theatre) was a popular and influential Australian theatre and theatrical company, located in Phillip Street, Sydney, Phillip Street in Sydney that was active from 1954 and 1971 that became well ...

revue, ''Is Australia Really Necessary?'' (Syd; 3 Oct.). Charles Zwar died on 2 December 1989 at Oxford, England.

Music

;Musical revues and musical comedies * ''Stude Prunes'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * ''Swot Next'' (1934) * '' Blue Mountain Melody'' (1934, with J. C. Bancks) * ''Swinging the Gate'' (1940) * ''Sky High'' (1942) * ''Sweeter and Lower'' (1943, with Alan Melville) * ''Sweetest and Lowest'' (1946) * ''A La Carte'' (1947, with Alan Melville) * ''One, Two Three'' (1947, with Alan Melville) * ''The Lyric Revue'' (1951) * ''Bet Your Life'' (1952, with Kenneth Leslie-Smith) * ''Penny Plain'' (1952) * ''At the Lyric'' (1953) * ''

John Murray Anderson's Almanac ''John Murray Anderson's Almanac'' is a musical revue, featuring the music of the songwriting team of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, as well as other composers. It was conceived by John Murray Anderson. Productions ''John Murray Anderson's Almanac ...

'' (1953) * ''Metropolitan Merry-Go-round'' (1953, with Lance Mulcahy and Alan Melville) * ''Marigold'' (1959, with Alan Melville) * ''...And Another Thing'' (1960) * '' From A to Z'' (1960) * ''Queen's Revue'' (1961) * ''Out on a Limb'' (1961) * ''All Square'' (1963) * ''Is Australia Really Necessary?'' (1964) * ''Hello Watford Goodbye'' (1965) * ''The Station Master's Daughter'' (1968, with Frank Harvey) NB: This list, sourced from the ''Australian Variety Theatre Archive'', is incomplete. ;Film scores * ''Hullo, Fame!'' (1940, documentary) * ''The Australian Army at War'' (1945, documentary) * ''Eight Hundred Mile Voyage'' (1964, documentary) * ''

Before the Fringe ''Before the Fringe'' was a BBC television series which ran for two series on BBC2 in 1967. The first series ran for eight episodes between 30 January and 20 March 1967. The second series of six episodes ran between 18 September and 23 October 19 ...

'' (1967, television comedy series)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zwar, Charles 1911 births 1989 deaths People educated at Trinity College (University of Melbourne) Australian male composers Australian composers Australian musical theatre composers Place of birth missing Musicians from London Melbourne Law School alumni Musicians from Melbourne People from Williamstown, Victoria 20th-century English composers 20th-century Australian musicians 20th-century British male musicians