Table Of ContentTheatre at War,
1914–18
L. J. Collins
THEATRE AT WAR, 1914-18
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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)'
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111C author has asscncd his right to be idcnlificd as Ihc aulhor of Ihis work in a«onlance
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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
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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
