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AAP
AAP
Lifestyle
Liz Hobday

Cabaret celebrates forgotten star of the Sydney stage

Sydney
Send for Nellie, starring Elenoa Rokobaro, tells the forgotten story of performer Nellie Small. (HANDOUT/STATE LIBRARY OF NSW)

There was once a familiar catch cry in Sydney show business: when a performance was lacklustre, "Send for Nellie!"

Born in 1900, Nellie Small was a cross-dressing cabaret artist who became a legend of the industry, singing jazz and blues standards in prestigious clubs.

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