Stages With Peter Eyers

In July we lost one of the pioneers of entertainment in Australia - Mr John Newman. We featured John in an episode recorded in March 2022. John Newman is the savvy entrepreneur who pioneered the glory of theatre restaurant in Australia, with the establishment of the iconic Tikki & John’s in Melbourne. The venue fast became an institution in the city and a haven for a stellar cast of performers. With wife Tikki Taylor, he founded an entertainment dynasty spawning further theatre dining experiences such as Dracula’s, Cafe Crypt and Crazyhouse. A Geelong boy, his parents were publicans. He was born to perform and garnered early experiences entertaining hotel guests. He joined the Geelong Musical Comedy Company, a flourishing amateur group whose members also included John’s brother Bill, Ernie Bourne and Barry Crocker. His success in comic and singing roles with that company, prompted him to embark on show business as a profession. He joined an outfit calling itself, rather ambitiously The South Pacific Film