Dirty Dick ’ s entertaining for half a century
by Greg Martin
“ A tale is but half told when only one person tells it .” - from the 1400 AD Icelandic The Saga of Grettir the Strong . Well , there will be more than one person telling the story of Medieval times when an expected packed house will be thoroughly entertained at the much beloved Dirty Dick ’ s Theatre Restaurant show at Richmond Club on Saturday , November 16 .
There , telling the story of life during those Middles Ages will be peasants , skilled artisans , fair damsels , court jesters , buxom wenches , knights , and in this special show , King Richard and Robin Hood and his Merry Band of Men - in tights ! Now , that ’ s a tale to tell ! And helping the actors entertain the dinner guests will be a number of guests themselves – as audience members have always been part of the action since Dirty Dick ’ s came out – oops- was introduced to Australia and the world in 1970 .
‘ tis $ 85 per head for which diners will feast on a Medieval two-course meal , and sing and laugh themselves silly throughout the performance .
Since the first Dirty Dick ’ s Theatre Restaurant opened in Perth suburb , Wembley , in 1970 , the Dirty Dick ’ s organisation has created a host of records .
The shows have been witnessed by five million diners who have devoured 1.4 million kilograms of beef , 700,000 puddings and consumed six million litres of ale – that ’ s enough to fill four Olympic swimming pools .
Over the decades since that inaugural performance in Perth , 1400 actors and musicians have appeared in over 35,000 performances at more than 900 venues across the nation .
Dirty Dick ’ s was created by renowned Perth stage and television pioneers , Coralie Condon and her business partner , Frank Baden-Powell , a renowned actor , theatre director and a Perth City councillor ( 1969-1977 ).
The couple were visiting London in 1969 and decided to have dinner in The Gore Hotel ’ s Elizabethan Room where they and fellow diners were served by Elizabethan serving wenches and entertained by a man playing a lute .
Back home in Perth , Coralie and Frank decided to use the Medieval format and open a similar venue , such was The Gore Hotel ’ s success in luring full houses to its restaurant .
Frank ’ s suggested that the restaurant should be called Cheshire Cheese but in the end he sided with Coralie ’ s suggestion – Dirty Dick ’ s .
Coralie brought her expertise in the entertainment industry to the venture , having had a long history with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society and producing shows for Perth ’ s Repertory Club .
The venue was a hit from opening night , and such was its success , Dirty Dick ’ s spread nationwide , with premises throughout Sydney , Melbourne , Brisbane and further afield in Auckland and in California in Los Angeles .
Coralie Condon died peacefully at Castledare Nursing Home on December
Beautiful serving wenches and travelling minstrels entertain a particularly well-imbibed member of the landed gentry at a Dirty Dick ’ s Theatre Restaurant . The legendary show comes to Richmond Club on November 16 .
24 , 2014 , just a few months short of becoming a centenarian .
Frank Baden-Powell OAM , died on May 16 , 1992 .
Requiescat In Pace . It ’ s all Latin to me but translates to “ rest in peace ”.
Coralie and Frank – thanks for the memories and laughs .
Saturday
16 th November
DOORS 7PM STARTS : 7.30PM
TICKETS $ 85P / P +* BF
Includes 2 Course Meal
18 + ONLY EVENT * BF – BOOKING FEE
Secure your Tickets at Richmondclub . com . au / whatson
6 East Market St , Richmond NSW 2753 ( 02 ) 4578 1144 richmondclub . com . au
2 ISSUE 174 // NOVEMBER 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT