Statue commemorates comedian Roy Rene (1891-1954) who was one of Australia`s most loved performers from the Depression of the 1930`s until the early 1950`s. The statue was commissioned by the South Australian Government to recognise Mo`s significant contribution to Australian Art and Entertainment. One of Australia’s greatest and most loved comedians, ‘Roy Rene’ was born Harry van der Sluys (or Sluice) in Hindley Street, Adelaide. The comic adopted the stage name Roy Rene after a famous French clown. As one of seven children, Rene displayed a passion for performing from a young age making his stage debut at the Theatre Royal in Hindley Street and later performed around Australia and New Zealand, eventually moving to Sydney where he joined the Vaudeville circuit. As the bawdy character "Mo McCackie", Rene was one of the most well-known and successful Australian comedians of the 20th century. Famous for his superb timing, gestures and distinctive make-up — a painted white face and black beard — Rene later became known as ‘Mo,’ teaming up with comedian Nat (‘Stiffy’) Phillips to become the ‘Stiffy and Mo’ comedy act. In 1934, he starred in the film Strike me lucky, the title of which comes from one of his many catchphrases. Many of Rene’s favorite catchphrases are still part of the Australian vernacular. Other catchphrases included 'Don't come the raw prawn with me' (to tell someone not to try and deceive you or misrepresent the situation) and 'Fair suck of the sav' (to indicate incredulity or to let someone know they are not giving others a fair go). The memory of Rene lives on in the Mo Awards, presented annually for excellence in live performance. The statuette presented to the recipients is in the form of Rene in his Mo McCackie persona.
