The Mark Louis Revue

Appears to be a local Singapore attempt to emulate the many international “Revue” shows that came to Singapore in the 1960s. Mark Louis (whose full name was Mark Louis Frederick Roche) was a promoter and talent agent who established his Revue in early 1966. It was closed down by the police in March 1967.

The Revue played nightly at New World Park from mid-1966 to March 1967. It also briefly appeared at the Ocean Park Hotel in December 1966 and offered matinee shows on weekends from early 1967.

The Revue’s months-long run at New World came to a sudden end on 5 March 1967, when it was ordered closed by the police.

POLICE PUT CURTAINS TO REVUE – Some 700 people who had purchased tickets for this afternoon’s “Mark Louis Show” at the New World Amusement Park were disappointed when they were told that the revue was off. Reason for this was that the police had refused to renew the licence for the show scheduled from 2.30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the park’s New Star Hall. Said a distraught Mr. Mark Louis that afternoon: “I was shocked when I received a letter from the police turning down my weekly application for renewal of our weekend matinee shows just before today’s matinee was due to start.”

He claimed that he had been verbally informed that his application would be allowed. Because of this, he began selling tickets this morning for the show. But when he called at the Kandang Kerbau police station this afternoon, he was handed two letters by the officer-in-charge there, Mr. A.C. Fernandis. The first letter cancelled the matinee shows for today and tomorrow. The other turned down his application for renewal of his nightly shows from Monday to March 13. The police gave no reason for their action.

Mr. Louis said: “Since I started my nightly revue and the matinee shows more than a year ago, I have had no complaint or trouble from the police. This is the first time that my application has been rejected.” [Straits Times, March 5, 1967, p. 2]