Great War Theatre

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

This is a sort of loosely-knit comic opera. Its aim is evidently brightness and gaiety only, with pretty effects. some of it is amusing, much of it is rather dull, but so far as dialogue, songs and the business indicated are concerned it is entirely free from any ‘suggestiveness’. It is very long, with a dozen scenes in it, and I think a brief account is sufficient. It opens on a roof in Paris, which is the bedroom of Count Georgie De Gai, and that hero is discovered in bed. There is not the slightest offensiveness in this scene, which is merely comic, the hero, a great sportsman, being discovered in pyjamas and boxing gloves and getting into a dressing gown as soon as he is up. He is made to get up by the chorus, footmen, etc. and informed that a millionaire is taking a lot of girls around the world; one of them is secretly tattooed and whoever is chosen by her as her husband is to receive a large fortune. This tattoo motive more or less disappears and is never offensively used. Then we are introduced to a delightful character, Tootsi, who darns socks, and the socks motive plays a great part. She appears in humble guise but Impikoff, the great dressmaker, bets Georgie he will marry her. Georgie is disposed to marry another girl, Lulu. The rest of the play is simply Tootsi appearing in a number of fine dresses, but always her simple self, and Impikoff and his partner Umpikoff in a number of comic disguises. They all go to Berlin - where there is a scene of satire on the Germans, Tirpitz etc., which is all right now - Romania, Petrograd, Japan, and so on. In the end of course Georgie proposes to Tootsie and of course she is the tattooed girl - under the thimble. I do not think there is anything to offend anybody in it; any chaff, in the way of dress for example, of foreign people - in the case of a club of Japanese’s sportsmen - is much too good-natured to annoy, and when there is a ridiculous appearance it is always Impikoff and Unpikoff disguised. I note that some of the songs are to follow. Recommended for license. G. S. Street. ‘Venice’ for addition to round the map at the Alhambra. This is a new scene for interpolation in the revue at the Alhambra. It takes the lottery-girls, and the followers who are in quest of the prize to be won by drawing the damsel with the tattoo-mark, to Venice on the Piazetta di san Marco. They call come across comic imposters, one of them pretends to be the doge of Venice; and although the meeting does not advance the story very much it provides fresh opportunities for harmless fun and song and dance. Recommended for license. Ernest A. Bendall

Licensed On: 16 Jul 1917

License Number: 1057

Genre(s):

British Library Reference: LCP1917/15

British Library Classmark: Add MS 66170 H

Performances

Date Theatre Type
19 Jul 1917 Alhambra, London Unknown Licensed Performance