Playtime at the Piccadilly

Hank the Mule, the character L. Frank Baum created for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, lived far beyond the run of the show. Fred Woodward (real name Frederick James Warrington, Jr.), the animal impersonator who played the role for the entire ten-month production of the 1913-14 musical, continued performing as Hank the Mule around the world for the next thirty-five years.

In 1926, Hank the Mule appeared on the entertainment bill of London, England's Piccadilly nightclub. Part of Hank's Piccadilly performance survives on film, and you can watch it here. Fred Woodward plays Hank the Mule. Woodward's fourth wife, Nina Marie Newman Walby Warrington, is his assistant.

The recording includes all the acts on the bill, not just Hank alone, so if you want to watch only Hank's portion, set the progress bar to 3:41, the beginning of Hank's act, and click the "play" button.

Without music and color, the recording can't completely recreate Hank the Mule's performance. But Woodward's act provides a taste of what The Tik-Tok Man of Oz looked like. Despite Woodward's obvious skill, I find it hard to comprehend how a man capering in an animal suit drew cheers and applause from audiences, but Woodward's glowing reviews as Hank the Mule and his decades-long career prove his enduring appeal.

Hank the Mule, played by Fred Woodward, watches himself with his stage partner and wife Nina.

Copyright © 2023 Eric Shanower. All rights reserved.