Great War Theatre

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

This is a well-meant and naive little bit of propaganda. A Dean has an argument about Peace with his daughter and his butler, an ex-soldier, in which he expresses the views of an impracticably stupid "pacifist", quoting texts against fighting and ignoring the cause. Then he goes to sleep and dreams of the Kaiser ordering mobilisation of everybody to fight for victory for the Hohenzollerns. He wakes up and is told of the late German proposal, but converted by his dream realizes there could not be a real Peace with the Kaiser undefeated. It may be unfair to Deans to represent one of their number as so thick-headed a "pacifist", but as certainly they are to be found among the clergy I see no reason for interfering. Recommended for License G. S. Street

Researcher's Summary:

Only one week’s performances have been identified, as a curtain raiser to another play.

Licensed On: 14 Mar 1917

License Number: 855

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British Library Reference: LCP1917/6

British Library Classmark: Add MS 66161 U

Performances

Date Theatre Type
26 Mar 1917 Empire Theatre, Bradford Professional Licensed Performance
Read Narrative
'Mr. Arthur Bourchier will present "Find the Woman," the intensely dramatic story of American police methods, at the Empire Theatre, Bradford, next week … As a “curtain raiser,” a bright little play entitled “The Dean’s Dream; or the Only Peace,” will be staged. It is an entirely new play to be produced for the first time on any stage at Bradford next Monday’ (Bradford Weekly Telegraph, 23 March 1917). Noted in The Era, 28 March 1917: ‘Mr. Arthur Bourchier and company in “Find the Woman,” preceded by “The Dean’s Dream”’. A review of ‘Find The Woman’ in the Bradford Weekly Telegraph, 30 March 1917, does not mention ‘The Dean’s Dream; or The Only Peace’.