Great War Theatre

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

This is the sort of thing which is really harmless, but which people who take trifles literally might censure. The first act is at Madame Jollette's "finishing school" in Paris. Her daughter Alix arrives to say she is going to divorce her husband Charles: she has found he has a "bachelor flat" and has seen him enter it followed by a lady. Charles comes and makes excuses, but she persists. M. Jollette says he must work at his profession as a lawyer and offers him his first case, a young woman who wishes to divorce her husband. This is Toto; Charles starts flirting with her, is detected by his wife and finally condemned by her and at the end of the act, having engaged Toto as his typist, gives her as his own address the address of the "bachelor flat". In act II at a restaurant, Toto is dining with Charles who is tiring of her vulgarity and pining for the wife who has divorced him. Then she, Alix, comes with her parents and a solemn young man who is going to marry her. The upshot of the whole thing is that she and Charles come together again, confess that they love one another still and agree to marry again, and the solemn young man is taken possession of by the minx Toto who apparently is going to marry him. Miss Unger is a dramatist of some distinction and has created this light theme in an appropriately light and rather charing way. To treat divorce lightly may offend severe critics, but there are may precedents, notably the plays founded on "Divorcons". This play is never heavily or clumsily improper, it is all light and frivolous, and I think it would be prudish to object to it. The first page and a half of Act I are perhaps a little too suggestive, but I do not think go beyond the line in a play which is not really offensive. G. S. Street. 13 July 1916 G. S. Street: "Toto" additional matter. The additional scene is a burlesque duel, quite innocent of offence. The additional songs are also inoffensive. One, "Leave it to me," has, it is true a verse about the country needing population and a man's wife having twins, to which the extremely squeamish might object but it would be really prudish to do so. 14/7/16 Manager infd. That the additional scene and songs have been passed and can be included in licensed manuscript.

Licensed On: 1 May 1916

License Number: 221

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British Library Reference: LCP1916/10

British Library Classmark: Add MS 66131 O

Performances

Date Theatre Type
8 May 1916 Coliseum, London Unknown Licensed Performance