A Most Entertaining Evening
held at The Showroom, Arts Centre Melbourne
On Monday, 11 August 2025, at 6.00 pm
The launch of Theatre Heritage Australia’s new book
Entertaining Mr. Coppin:
An Antipodean Showman in Civil War America
by Simon Plant
Cast and Crew |
|
| Presenter, THA President | Dr. Simon Piening |
| Author | Simon Plant |
| Moderator | Fiona Gruber |
| Paul Pry | Michael Treloar |
| George Coppin | Michael Treloar |
| Director | Babs McMillan |
| Producer | Matthew Peckham |
| Photographer | Robert Wagner |
Dr Simon Piening—one of several Simons present on this auspicious occasion—began proceedings by introducing Simon Plant, the author of the book we were all eager to hear more about and to, most very likely, purchase—Entertaining Mr. Coppin—a book that represents five years of writing and research, and truly a labour of love and passion.
Dr Simon Piening
Simon and Fiona in full swing
The author then took to the stage, along with the evening’s moderator, writer and broadcaster Fiona Gruber, who asked Simon how Coppin came to be in Australia, when he arrived, and to tell us something about his early history. Simon’s book—beautifully designed by Simon Piening and scrupulously edited by Elisabeth Kumm—deals principally with the two years Coppin spent travelling to, and travelling within, the United States, and his experiences there in the 1860s, with his travelling companions and fellow artistes, Charles and Ellen Kean, but the 1840s had seen Coppin’s arrival here and his many ‘ups and downs’, the theatres he managed, bought, lost, built!—and in the 1850s, among other things, his eventual success entertaining Victoria’s goldfield miners—but in the 1860s he had spread his wings much, much further afield.
Paul Pry playbill
Coppin as Paul Pry
As a ‘low comedian’ the two principal characters he portrayed, over and over again, were the ‘street patterer’ Billie Barlow and the ‘village busybody’ Paul Pry. Just as Simon was about to speak of the latter, who should appear but the man himself, Paul Pry, in search of a mislaid umbrella. Not one to intrude, nor of course to gossip, he then introduced himself to both Fiona and Simon, and to mention his book—“sorry, your book”—and upcoming attractions—for instance Cremorne Gardens, where he would be performing shortly. At this point, with a switch of headgear (and accent), George Coppin made his appearance and regaled the audience with accounts and opinions of his time in ‘the States’—the good, the bad, and the sadly, very ugly. Two years away was far too long to be parted from his dear family—enough was more than enough!
Paul Pry appears ...
Once Simon had the stage to himself again he spoke of the extreme discomfort George had experienced—the prolonged journey by sailing ship to America, the journeys taken in and around that mighty continent—combined with his chronic case of gout. Ships were damaged, cities were found to be uninhabitable, and tensions worsened between Coppin and the Keans—the ‘low comedian’ and the ‘serious tragedians’. Coppin returned to Australia, where he went on to create, or to found, so much—to introduce treelined streets and horse-drawn trams to our city, roller-skating rinks—he co-founded Sorrento, along with ferries, hotels, the little steam railway—and in Melbourne the Old Colonists, a village for retired stage-performers – he was a Freemason, briefly a Parliamentarian – Simon spoke of Coppin’s family, his love for his wife and their many children, their homes, first at Cremorne Gardens, later Pine Grove in Richmond, and of course The Anchorage—still in existence—near Sorrento. George kept himself well informed of all that was going on in the world—he read, he spoke to ships’ crews, he kept records and all the correspondence to his dear wife Lucy.
George Coppin
Coppin family
There was so much to George Coppin—there is so much more to tell! Who will tackle this gigantic task—a full biography and one that supersedes Alec Bagot’s volume of the 1960s? However—Simon tells us—it will not be he …
The evening ended with a round of applause and a great round of ‘thank-yous’ for all concerned in the production of the book and/or its very successful launch—a huge thank-you to the Arts Centre’s Tom Dickins and Simon DeLacyLeacey—and to Simon Dwyer for so deftly manning the book stall. In The Showroom’s foyer the book’s success was clearly evident by the queue of those eager to possess a copy, signed by the author himself, Simon Plant, Entertaining Mr. Coppin: An Antipodean Showman in Civil War America.
