Business As Usual

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

This is all about the War, and if we allow for the exigencies of the sort of entertainment, which demands a certain amount of jocosity, the spirit and taste of it are excellent - far better than that of the revue at the Empire. The 1st scene is a harvest in France, very prettily done, ending in the advance of Germans while the villagers flee. The 2nd, in Whitehall, shows the reception of the news of the war in England and includes a scene of chaff at the expense of Special Constables which (if I may say so as one of them) is quite good humoured. The 3rd is in the country, again the reception of the news. It is followed by a rather vulgar song - the only thing out of place - which was censored in a previous production but passed in a revised form, which now appears; it has nothing to do with the War. The 4th consists of a cartoons from Punch with appropriate verses. The 5th is a war scene, with wounded and nurses: personally I think that sort of thing too painful, but there is nothing offensive or even harrowing in the dialogue. The 6th scene is wordless: a 'cavalry charge'. The 7th is a comic scene, a country sewing society, with a vicar, & Potash and Perl mutter introduced: silly but harmless. The 8th and last brings on the heroes of the war; Joffre, French, and so on, with a verse spoken by 'the spirit of patriotism' to each. It ends with King Albert, but any objection to a royalty being introduced is removed by the entirely respectful manner, of course the procession would be lamentably incomplete without him. The songs are mostly patriotic and all inoffensive. Recommended for license. G. S. Street.