Great War Theatre

The Frenchwoman

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

A play about the war, and far above the average of such efforts, being written by someone with knowledge - or so it seems to me - of military matters and being worked up to an exciting finish. Two German spies are living in Belgium and posing as Dutch farmers. A Frenchwoman, who has fled from justice and was destitute, lives with them as their servant. They find out that she knows their secret and are going to kill her, when an English sergeant arrives in advance of a battery and requires their room and some supper for their captain. He goes and they inform the Germans by wireless and when the captain comes give him wrong information. To make sure they drug his coffee, but Stephanie, the Frenchwoman, contrives to warn him. Later there is a fine fight; the captain is temporarily disabled by one of the ruffians seizing him from behind, but Stephanie comes to the rescue and shoots that one; the other shoots her, being shot in return by the returning sergeant, and she dies, having saved the battery from certain destruction. It is well enough written to be really effective.

Licensed On: 20 Nov 1914

License Number: 3034

Author(s):

Genre(s):

Keyword(s):

British Library Reference: LCP1914/34

British Library Classmark: Add MS 66082 C

Performances

Date Theatre Type
N/A Palace, Walthamstow Unknown Licensed Performance
7 Dec 1914 Palace Theatre, Walthamstow Professional
Read Narrative
Mary Mayfren and Company
14 Dec 1914 Syndicate Hall, London Professional
21 Dec 1914 Palace Theatre, London Professional
4 Jan 1915 Palace Theatre, London Professional
11 Jan 1915 Empire Theatre, London Professional
18 Jan 1915 Palladium, London Professional
Read Narrative
'one of the best-written and most capably-acted War sketches we have seen' (The Stage, 21 January 1915). Mary Mayfren (actor), F Tennant (actor), H A Lyons (actor), L Cancellor (actor), Jack Vyvyan (actor).
25 Jan 1915 Metropolitan Theatre, London Professional
Read Narrative
'it is quite one of the best War sketches at present to hand.' (The Stage, 28 January 1915)
1 Feb 1915 Palace Theatre, London Professional
8 Feb 1915 Palace Theatre, London Professional
15 Feb 1915 Empire Theatre, London Professional
10 May 1915 Empire Theatre, Nottingham Professional
17 May 1915 Olympia, Liverpool Professional
24 May 1915 Empire, Swansea Professional
31 May 1915 Empire Theatre, Newport Professional
14 Jun 1915 Empire, Hartlepool Professional
21 Jun 1915 Palace Theatre, London Professional
28 Jun 1915 Coliseum, Glasgow Professional
5 Jul 1915 Empire, Newcastle Professional
12 Jul 1915 Empire Theatre, Sheffield Professional
Read Narrative
'The little play is full of thrills and is acted with great realism ...' (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 13 July 1915)
26 Jul 1915 Empire Palace, South Shields Professional
2 Aug 1915 Empire Theatre, London Professional
9 Aug 1915 Palace Theatre, London Professional
11 Oct 1915 Syndicate Hall, London Professional
18 Oct 1915 Hippodrome, Aston Professional
25 Oct 1915 Hippodrome, Coventry Professional
15 Nov 1915 Alhambra, Bradford Professional
6 Dec 1915 Argyle Theatre, Liverpool Professional
13 Dec 1915 Hippodrome, Paisley Professional
20 Dec 1915 Hippodrome, Hamilton Professional
27 Dec 1915 Royal Hippodrome, Belfast Professional
3 Jan 1916 Coliseum, Dublin Professional
19 Jan 1916 Palace Theatre, Huddersfield Professional
24 Jan 1916 Argyle Theatre, Liverpool Professional
31 Jan 1916 Hippodrome, Ilford Professional
7 Feb 1916 Hippodrome, Gloucester Professional
14 Feb 1916 Palace Theatre, Southampton Professional
21 Feb 1916 Hippodrome, Norwich Professional
28 Feb 1916 Hippodrome, Ipswich Professional
20 Mar 1916 Empire Theatre, Dewsbury Professional
27 Mar 1916 Hippodrome, Rotherham Professional
3 Apr 1916 Hippodrome, Derby Professional
17 Apr 1916 Palace and Hippodrome, Burnley Professional
24 Apr 1916 Palace Theatre, Halifax Professional
1 May 1916 Hippodrome, Wigan Professional
8 May 1916 Empire Theatre, Cardiff Professional
15 May 1916 Hippodrome, Stockton Professional
22 May 1916 Palace Theatre, Bradford Professional
29 May 1916 Coliseum, Glasgow Professional
5 Jun 1916 Empire Theatre, Preston Professional
3 Jul 1916 Palace Theatre, Hull Professional
14 Aug 1916 Empire Theatre, Sunderland Professional
21 Aug 1916 Empire, Hartlepool Professional
18 Sep 1916 Empire Theatre, Birmingham Professional
25 Sep 1916 Hippodrome, Rochdale Professional
23 Oct 1916 King's Theatre, Dundee Professional
4 Dec 1916 Empire Theatre, Nottingham Professional
18 Dec 1916 King's Theatre, Portsmouth Professional
15 Jan 1917 Palace Theatre, Reading Professional
22 Jan 1917 Palace, Bath Professional
5 Feb 1917 Royal Hippodrome, Belfast Professional
12 Feb 1917 Theatre Royal, Dublin Professional
19 Feb 1917 Grand Theatre, Birmingham Professional
5 Mar 1917 Palace Theatre, London Professional
20 Mar 1917 Empire Palace, Edinburgh Professional
2 Apr 1917 Empire Theatre, Leeds Professional
9 Apr 1917 Palace Theatre, Hull Professional
23 Apr 1917 Argyle Theatre, Liverpool Professional
7 May 1917 Empire, Newcastle Professional
28 May 1917 Palace Theatre, Southampton Professional
4 Jun 1917 Jubilee Hall, Weymouth Professional
11 Jun 1917 Palace Theatre, Salisbury Professional
25 Jun 1917 Hippodrome, Coventry Professional
10 Sep 1917 Hippodrome, Aston Professional
10 Sep 1917 Granville Theatre, Walham Green Professional
Read Narrative
Mary Mayfren and Company
20 Sep 1917 Grand Theatre, Bolton Professional
19 Nov 1917 Palace and Hippodrome, Burnley Professional
26 Nov 1917 Hippodrome, Birmingham Professional
3 Dec 1917 Palace Theatre, Huddersfield Professional
22 Apr 1918 Hippodrome, Liverpool Professional
16 Dec 1918 Hippodrome, London Professional
30 Dec 1918 Palace Theatre, London Professional