Theatre at War, 1914–18 L. J. Collins THEATRE AT WAR, 1914-18 This page intentionally left blank Theatre at War, 1914-18 L. J. Collins first publishcd in Greal ßrilain 1998 b)' MACMILLAN PRESS LTD HoullI.hnills, BasingSlolo:e, Hampshire RG21 6XS and London Companics alm represcntativcs throughouL lhc world A calalogue record for Lhis book is availablc fromlhe British Library. ISBN 978-1-349-40045-4 ISBN 978-0-230-37222-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9780230372221 First publishcd in Ihe Uniled Stilles of Amcrica 1998 b)' ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INe• • Scholarl)' and Rcfcrcncc Division, 175 Fifth Avcnue, New YOTk. N.Y. 10010 ISBN 978-0-3 [2-17598-6 LibmT)' orCongTess Cataloging·in·Publication Daln Collins. L. J., 1942- 111catrc 1II war, 1914-18/I..J. Collins. p. cm. Inchtdcs bibliognlphical rcfercnces and index. ISBN 978-0-312-17598-6 (clOlh) I. World War. 191 4-191 8- Thealer and lhc war. I. Til1e. D639.E8C6S 1997 940.4'8-dc21 97-10633 CIP Cl L. J. Collins 1998 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1998 978-0-333-68317-0 All righls re!iCrved. No n::produeliOll. cop)' or lrallsmission of Ihis publicillion mll)' be malle wilhoul wrillCIl pcrmissiol1, No paragraph of Ihis publiclllion ma)' bc rcprodueed. copicd or Irnnsmillcd snve wilh wrillcn pennission or in accoroance with Ihe provisions of Ihe Cop)'righl. Designs and I'alenls ACI 1988. or ulldcr lhe lerms of an)' licellec permillillg [imilcd cop)'ing issllt.'d b)' lhe Cop)'righl Liccnsing Agene)', 90 TOllenham Court Road, Lont1ol1 WII' 9~IE. An)' I'CT$()U who docs all)' ulllllllllOrised acl in relation 10 Ihis publicalion ma)' be Hable to criminalllfosetUlion and civil claims for damagcs. 111C author has asscncd his right to be idcnlificd as Ihc aulhor of Ihis work in a«onlance wilh lhe Cop)'righl. Designs al1d l';!tcl11s ACI 1988. 111is book is primed on paper SUil3blc for recycling and nmdc from full)' marmgcd and sustaill{"d foresl sourCC$. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 321 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 99 98 Dedicated to the memory of MONICA COLLINS This page intentionally left blank Contents List qf Illustrations viii A cknowledgements x Introduction Recruitmcnt and Employmcnt 5 2 ElTects of War on Theatrical Production 33 3 Pcrforming for Charity 48 4 Forces Entertainment in Britain 73 5 Military Provision Abroad 100 6 Civilian Thcatre Provision in the War Zones 135 7 War Plays 177 Conclusions 212 Riferences 220 Bibliography 213 Index 248 Vll List of Illustrations Advertisement for Great British Patriotie Songs 1915 [Imperial War Museum] 12 2 Playbill for Artists' Rifles Grand Reerniting Concert 1915 [L. j. Collins] 15 3 Playbill for concert in aid of Artists' Rifles Concert Fund 1918 [L. j. Collins] 17 4 Advertisement for The Pendant rif Saerifiee and Service for women 1916 [YMCA Library] 19 5 Songsheet cover for We Cannot All Be Soldiers 1914 [Imperial War Museum] 30 6 Programme for Gravesend Ladies' Evening Concert in aid of Ex-Mayoresses' Prisoners rif War Comfort Fund 1918 [L.j. Collins] 59 7 Cartoon from The British Week[y YMCA magazine, April 1915 [YMCA Library] 80 8 Programme for NACB Garrison Theatre, Oswestry 1918 [L. j. Collins] 87 9 Programme for M 15 production, Hush-Hush 1919 [Imperial war Museum] 93 10 Central Stores Troupe - Tank Corps [Imperial War Museum] 104 11 Canadian Concert Party - The Maple Leaves 1917 [Imperial War Museum] 105 12 Female impersonator artist - The Maple Leaves 1917 [Imperial War Museum] 108 13 The Ugly Sisters in Cinderella - RFC production 1918 [Imperial War Museum] 110 14 Prince Charming, Buttons and Cinderella - RFC produetion 1918 [Imperial War Museum] 111 15 Programme eover for Babes in the W (censored) 1915 [Imperial war Museum] 112 16 Cottbus POW camp coneert troupe - English Theatre [Imperial War Museum] 118 17 Photograph Stendal POW camp - British coneert troupe [Captain A. Furse] 119 18 Photograph Stendal POW camp - Dick Whittington 1916 [Captain A. Furse] 120 VlIl List qf Illustrations IX 19 Front page The Somme-Times 31 Ju ly 1916 [Imperial War Museum] 131 20 Photograph Harry Lauder with Staff Officers at 1st Army HQ, Ranchicourt, 5 September 1918 [Imperial War Museum] 138 21 Programme for Lena Ashwell concert party production of The Mikado 191 7 [L. J. Collins] 166 22 ibid 167 23 Songsheet for Demobilization by Valentine & Scott 1919 [L. J. Collins] 210