''The Magic Circle Club'' was an award-winning Australian children's television show, produced at ATV Channel 0 (now
ATV-10
ATV is a television station in Melbourne, Australia, part of Network 10 – one of the three major Australian free-to-air commercial television networks. The station is owned by Paramount Networks UK & Australia.
History
In April 1963, the ...
) from 23 January 1965 to 1967.
The program's style came from live
pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
and classic fairy tales. It often featured music, original songs and dance routines. Some older female characters were performed by males, in
pantomime dame
A pantomime dame is a traditional role in British pantomime. It is part of the theatrical tradition of '' travesti'' portrayal of female characters by male actors in drag. Dame characters are often played either in an extremely camp style, or els ...
style.
Godfrey Philipp was the producer and director, with many scripts and song lyrics by
John-Michael Howson
John-Michael Howson (born 8 August 1936) is an Australian writer, reporter, entertainer and Melbourne radio commentator. His involvement in the Australian entertainment scene as a writer, producer and performer spans more than 50 years.
Earl ...
. Max Bartlett became a regular script writer in addition to his on-screen roles. Music was by Bruce Rowland and scenery designs by Brian Thomson.
The show was hosted by Nancy Cato, cousin of the author of the same name. A later addition to the regular cast was Liz Harris, who also took over as hostess when Nancy Cato suffered temporary paralysis and had to use a wheelchair.
In 1966, the TV series won the first
Logie Award
The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...
presented to a children's show, for ''Outstanding Contribution To Children's Television''.
Characters
Regular characters were denizens of the Magic Forest: mute Fredd Bear (Tedd Dunn, also the costume designer); shrill Fee Fee Bear (
John-Michael Howson
John-Michael Howson (born 8 August 1936) is an Australian writer, reporter, entertainer and Melbourne radio commentator. His involvement in the Australian entertainment scene as a writer, producer and performer spans more than 50 years.
Earl ...
, billed as John Howson); feisty Mother Matilda Hubbard (Fred Tupper, a former radio star); sensible Max (Max Bartlett); Shirley Temple analog Curley Dimples (played by adult Gael Dixon, also the show's choreographer); beautiful enchantress Crystal Ball (Gabrielle Hartley) and her pet, Hep Cat (Nola Finn); Marlena DeWitch (Marion Weir); and villainous Sir Jasper Crookly (
henchman
A henchman (''vernacular:'' "hencher"), is a loyal Employment, employee, supporter, or aide to some powerful figure engaged in nefarious or criminal enterprises. Henchmen are typically relatively unimportant in the organization: minions whose val ...
Gaspar Goblin ( Colin McEwan).
Recurring guest characters included BoBo the clown (Charles "Hal" Turner), Montmorency James Rabbit (Ernie Bourne), Sebastian Bear (Gael Dixon), and Aunty Vale (
Bunney Brooke
Dorothy Cronin (9 January 1920 – 2 April 2000), professionally known as Bunney Brooke, was an Australian actress, creator, producer, director, designer, playwright and casting agent, best known for her being one of the early faces of Aust ...
). Twoddle & Boddle (Laurie Allen and Bobby Bright, aka Bobby & Laurie of
The Go!! Show
''The Go!! Show'' (also known simply as ''Go!!'') was an Australian popular music television series which aired on ATV-0, Melbourne, from August 1964 to August 1967. It was produced by DYT Productions at the ATV-0 studios in Nunawading, Victor ...
) were analogs of Tweedledee & Tweedledum, characters the pair had played previously in a pantomime. Max Bartlett often played additional guest characters, including Harley Quin, a harlequin performer, King Size of nearby Enchantmentland, wicked innkeeper Simon Sneak of the ''Cross and Bones'', or Mother Hubbard's accident-prone great-nephew, Claude Clumsy. Ernie Bourne and Colin McEwan often doubled up roles to play guest villains. Even Nancy Cato played a chambermaid, Sweet Nelly, in a Barbary Coast pirate storyline.
Format
Storylines were typically serialized across five days, with the Friday program usually wrapping up the week's adventure. Each episode finished up with the hostess sitting on a large mushroom, with Fredd crouched beside her (usually after dusting off the stool with a handkerchief), while the pair shared viewers' letters and artwork.
Daily features included viewers'
riddles
A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requ ...
with Cassius Cuckoo, during "Cassius Cuckoo's Corn Corner", and
limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
s with Leonardo de Funbird. These characters were wood and felt bird puppets (created by Axel Axelrad; voiced by Colin McEwan). Cassius inhabited a longcase
cuckoo clock
A cuckoo clock is, typically, a pendulum clock that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo call and has an automated cuckoo bird that moves with each note. Some move their wings and open and close their beaks while leaning forwards ...
next to Mother Hubbard's cupboard in The Magic Cottage, and Leonardo lived inside the IKAN (Instantaneous Knowledge Accumulation Network) computer (voice of Fred Tupper). The IKAN educational segment was eventually dropped, and Leonardo would present his limerick segment from a tree stump in the Magic Forest.
Towards the end of the TV series' run, stories were serialized across only four days, with the Friday program dedicated to a separate story, told by Liz Harris, about toys which come to life in a toyshop when the owner was absent. Liz, herself, played a rag doll, Max Bartlett was a tin soldier, and John-Michael Howson played a glum clown, a portrayal which would inspire his Adventure Island character of Clown.
Stage version
A specially written Magic Circle Club episode, "The Stolen Smile", was performed live on stage at the Tivoli Theatre (Melbourne) from 27 December 1965. In this adventure, Sir Jasper and Gaspar had banished Clocko the chief clown (Max Bartlett, again playing a dual role), and Spangles the
trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...
artist (Gael Dixon), from their circus, and taken away Clocko's smile. Appearing on stage with Max, Curley and Nancy were Fredd, Fee Fee, Mother Hubbard, Crystal Ball, Hep Cat, Montmorency, Cassius and Leonardo, all played by the regular TV cast. This production was stage managed by Sue Nattras,
Simon Wincer
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
and Jim McElroy.
Gabrielle Hartley was severely burned when her cloak brushed over a hot "flash pot" used in a live, on-stage, special effect, and her role had to be assumed by her understudy. Hartley never returned to her TV role, the character of Crystal Ball being written out.
Cancellation and beyond
After producing 555 thirty-minute episodes, ATV axed the show for cost reasons. Competitor ABC TV wanted to buy it, but ATV refused, which led to the start up of the similar program '' Adventure Island'' on the ABC, with many of the same cast and writers from ''Magic Circle Club''.
Recorded in black and white, the program was repeated prior to the official introduction of colour TV in 1975. John-Michael Howson had wanted to produce the show in colour for overseas sales, but management baulked at the added cost. Many episodes of the show have been stored at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA).
TV director and costume designer Tedd Dunn stayed with Melbourne's Channel 0. He played the Fredd Bear character (Channel 0's answer to the Nine Network's more enduring
Humphrey B. Bear
''Humphrey B. Bear'' is a fictional character first created in an Australian children's television series called ''Here's Humphrey'', which first went to air in 1965. Its fictional character namesake is an icon of Australian children's televis ...
) two years after the demise of ''Magic Circle Club'', as co-host of '' Fredd Bear's Breakfast-A-Go-Go''. His suit has since been donated to the NSFA for restoration and safe storage.Fredd Bear costume Retrieved 17 May 2020 – NFSA Cassius and Leonardo also appeared on ''Breakfast-A-Go-Go'', as did actor Colin McEwan and newsreader Michael McCarthy. Fee Fee, now mute without Howson's unique vocal contribution, was often played by Michael's wife, Caroline McCarthy. Max Bartlett continued to work in television production, moving to
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
The Underground Video Show
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
''.
In 2007, Nancy Cato appeared on the "Kids' TV" episode of Bob Downe's ''The Way We Were'' discussing ''Magic Circle Club''.
Archival remnants
Th Australian National Film & Sound Archive has preserved the following episodes of The Magic Circle Club: 141–146, 150, 151, 155, 157, 160, 166, 168–170, 316, 319, 322, 326–329, 332, 336–339, 342, 343, 345–352, 356, 362, 363, 368, 371, 379, 386, 387, 398, 401, 402, 406–409, 412, 413–416, 419, 421–424, 427, 428, 431–434, 441, 444, 447, 449, 450, 455, 456, 459, 468, 469, 471, 472, 473, 474, 476, 477, 478, 479, 480, 486, 493–495, 500, 504, 505, 508, 510–516, 518, 519, 521, 525, 526, 527, 533, 538, 451, 544, 545–548, 551, 552, 553, and 555.