Great War Theatre

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

A skit upon the proceedings at a tribunal for deciding upon ‘exemptions ‘from military service, as claimed upon various absurd pretexts. The chaff is quite harmless, as it is at the expense of would-be shirkers. Recommended for license. Ernest A. Bendall.

Researcher's Summary:

This sketch was written to be inserted in a revised version of the revue ‘5064 Gerrard’, which was first staged at the Alhambra Theatre, London, in March 1915, when it returned there for three weeks from 13 March 1916. It may already have been included in the revue when it was performed at the Finsbury Park Empire the previous week as envisaged in the licence application. The revue ‘5064 Gerrard’ then briefly toured to the Chiswick Empire, the Grand Theatre, Birmingham, and the Empire, Leeds, as noted below, but none of the previews or reviews of the show then mentioned the tribunal sketch, so it is not clear whether this was played after it was given at the Alhambra. For other performances of '5064 Gerrard' see the versions of that title in this database that were licensed on 10 March 1915 and 20 November 1915.

Licensed On: 6 Mar 1916

License Number: 108

Author(s):

Genre(s):

British Library Reference: LCP1916/5

British Library Classmark: Add MS 66126 H

Performances

Date Theatre Type
6 Mar 1916 Empire Theatre, Finsbury Park Professional Licensed Performance
Read Narrative
‘The Finsbury Park Empire will present this week the revue, “5064 Gerrard,” with Geo. French and Anna Dorothy in cast’ (The People, 5 March 1916). Reviewed in The Stage, 9 March 1916, and the Holloway Press, 10 March 1916, with no mention of the tribunal sketch ‘What Would You Do’.
13 Mar 1916 Alhambra, London Professional
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‘“5064 Gerrard,” which returns to its original home at the Alhambra for a stay of four weeks from Monday next, has been brought up-to-date by the authors, Mr. Lauri Wylie and Mr. Alfred Parker, who have interpolated for the Alhambra engagement a scene which is a skit on the tribunals' (Westminster Gazette, 11 March 1916; also the Pall Mall Gazette of the same date). ‘Not much of Mr. André Charlot’s original production remains in the present version of “5064 Gerrard" ... [there is] a fairly amusing skit on the proceedings of an Appeal Committee, played by Messrs. Keppel-Stephenson, Newbury, Leslie, Sims, French, Webb and Crossley. One of the appellants has “Continental objections,” one of them being the Kaiser. Another refuses to serve because his aunt remembers the battle of Waterloo. These are fair samples of the repartees in the sketch, which presents possibilities nevertheless’ (The Era, 15 March 1916). ‘Pending the production of the new revue, “5064 Gerrard” has been restaged at the Alhambra for a month. In its new form it should prove quite entertaining. The best of the old scenes have been retained and the new include a quite amusing burlesque of a local Tribunal’ (Daily News (London), 15 March 1916). ‘[“5064 Gerrard”] has been brought right up-to-date by the authors, Messrs. Lauri Wylie and Alfred Parker, who have interpolated for the Alhambra engagement a scene which is a skit on the exemption tribunals’ (Southwark and Bermondsey Recorder, 17 March 1916). ‘The fresh scene introduced, which takes the form of a skit on the “conscientious objector” did not provide the amount of mirth one expected from the subject, but will no doubt improve with time’ (The People, 19 March 1916).
3 Apr 1916 Empire, Chiswick Professional
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The revue is previewed in a number of West London newspapers, and is reviewed in the Richmond Herald, 8 April 1916, but there is no mention of a tribunal sketch.
10 Apr 1916 Grand Theatre, Birmingham Professional
Read Narrative
The revue is previewed in the Birmingham Daily Gazette and the Evening Despatch, 8 April 1916, and it is reviewed in the Birmingham Mail, Birmingham Daily Gazette, Birmingham Daily Post and Evening Despatch (all 11 April 1916), but there is no mention of a tribunal sketch.
17 Apr 1916 Empire Theatre, Leeds Professional
Read Narrative
The revue is previewed in the Skyrack Courier, 14 April 1916, and reviewed in the Leeds Mercury and the Yorkshire Evening Post, both 18 April 1916, and the Skyrack Courier, 21 April 1916, but there is no mention of a tribunal sketch.