Gerald Keane

Reading through Frank van Straten’s fabulous book on Her Majesty’s Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne. The Shows, The Stars, The Stories, I was taken by a photo of stagehands doing a setup of some scenery from the J.C. Williamson revival production of The Vagabond King of 1941. Gerald Keane, who was their chief scenic carpenter and set builder, appears in the photo and the photo credit told me it is part of the family collection of Gerald’s grandson, John. Contacting John, I found him a great source of stories on Gerald’s time in the theatre, and he was more than happy to show me his collection of photographs and other items that had been handed down to him. One of these being a large wooden box on wheels with a lid and his name painted on it. “G. KEANE. J.C.W. MELBOURNE”. Gerald had built it himself in the 1930s and I can tell you, it is as solid as a rock and weighs a ton!

Gerald Keane, top right, with stage crew on the set for the 1941 revival of The Vagabond King at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne

John Keane Collection. Photo restoration by Matthew Turley.

Gerald Keane, left, with an unknown performer in a vaudeville act, 1915

John Keane collection

Gerald was born in Ballarat in 1890, then moved to Camperdown where he was caretaker of the Camperdown Mechanic’s Institute, now their library and which has their Theatre Royal attached to it. Interestingly, it was built the same year as Gerald was born. He was also drum-major of the Camperdown Brass Band. He seems to have been part of a little vaudeville act, Hamil and Keno with a friend. A photo of the two of them together was taken in 1915 in Camperdown.

He got a job as a carpenter, building houses and this seems to have enabled him to get a job at Her Majesty’s Theatre around 1921 when he replied to an advertisement looking for experienced men. He must have learnt the art of stagecraft quickly and became their head carpenter and was looking after the scenic department, which included doing work for the Colonel De Basil Ballet company during their Australian tours in the 1930s. Photos show Gerald on the stage of The Maj setting up scenery, laughing with dancers, posing with fellow backstage crew at the back of both Her Majesty’s Theatre and The Comedy Theatre. One photo shows the backstage crew in suits and ties on the setting of Aurora’s Wedding. One story that he handed down was that he and some of the other stage crew members were in charge of the Russian ballet company and were showing them around the city of Melbourne. All of a sudden they turned around and half of them had run across the road to look at “Sale” notices in a shop! They’d never seen anything like this back in Russia. Apparently those sight-seeing trips were like “herding cats!”

Gerald, top row, second from right, in front of the backdrop for the Colonel de Basil ballet, Auora's Wedding. 1940

John Keane collection

Gerald Keane, fourth from the right, with fellow stage crew in the lane at the side of the Comedy Theatre. c.1940

John Keane collection

Another story from Gerald’s grandson, John, which was handed down, was that he would carefully remove the linen and fine canvas from scenic flats and take them home where he had two large boiling vats in the backyard. His wife would boil up the water and wash the linen and canvas until most of the paint had been removed, ready to reuse for the next upcoming show. It was common practice back then, and long before, to completely wet down canvas backdrops and sweep them with brooms until the paint had been removed. (Imagine the incredible works of art by Philip Goatcher, George Gordon, W.R. Coleman, and others, that were totally lost to this practice. But they all knew it would happen and expected it.) Once the linen was too thin to reuse for scenery, it would be cut up, hemmed and given to everyone for tea-towels. John still has some of these tea-towels!

Following his long time working on the show The Kiwis which ran at The Comedy for over two years, the company presented Gerald with a silver tray with the inscription “To Gerry Keane an appreciation from the Kiwis. 5th March ’49”. Quite clearly he made a great impression with everyone who worked with him.

Following his official retirement from work as Williamson’s carpenter and mechanist, he was given the job of taking care of their very large warehouse in Richmond, which was built by Williamsons in the 1920s, where all of the scenery, backdrops, furniture, props, costumes etc were stored. One day, March 30, 1960 to be exact, Gerald found the pulleys which held and moved one of the large solid iron sliding doors had become disengaged from the guide rails and the door had jammed. Using an iron shifter, Gerald tried to raise the lower part of the door to get it back on track. The heavy door came away from the track and fell on top of him, crushing him under the weight. He lay on the floor for some time trying to call for help. Eventually one of the office staff came along, found him, and called for an ambulance. Gerald died in hospital as a result of his horrific injuries on 3 April 1960. He was seventy years old and worked for Williamson’s for thirty-five years.

But the box! What of the large tool-box? It's one of the treasures handed down by his grandfather to John. Built by Gerald, the box measures 950cm long, 420cm high and 460cm deep. Under the hinged lid is a photo of a female theatre star. Sadly it’s in such bad condition that it isn't possible to make out exactly who it is. Also under the lid is a printed list of “Theatrical and Amusement Employees’ Association” wage regulations from 1937 for full-time and casual Flymen, Switchboard operators, Front of House, Props persons, Cloakroom attendants, Stage Door keepers etc. Under the lid are Gerald’s measurements of the proscenium openings of theatres in Sydney, Hobart, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and New Zealand theatres. There are sections for various nails, screws, tinsnips, screwdrivers, sliding blocks etc. Many of Gerald’s carpentry tools, rulers, hammers, saws, drills and chisels are still in the main body of the box.

The question which comes up, as it does with so much memorabilia from the past, whether it be theatrical or otherwise, is... what’s going to happen to it ultimately? A large and heavy toolbox which travelled Australia and New Zealand with its builder and with many, many shows, plays, ballets and musicals. Yet another hidden treasure from our National theatrical past. I find myself constantly wondering just what else is out there just waiting to be discovered.