Victoria Palace, London

This was not a full performance of 'By Jingo if we do' but a series of performances which included the 'highly diverting coffee-stall scene' from the revue ('Sporting Times', 10 April 1915)

The cast included: Herbert Russell (John Sturger), Daisy Cordell (Mary Sturger), Sidney Vautier (Wilfred Sturger), Slaine Mills (Steve Allison). It was produced by Eille Norwood. The variety portion of the programme included Tom Hearne, Coram, Clark's Crazy Cyclists, Twelve Manchester Mites, Jack Lane, Anaros, the Kebbles, and Lauri Howard. The play was described as 'A powerful little "play of the moment"' ('Era', 17 November 1915) and the author's direct experience of the issue was referred to: 'The piece deals with the question of munitions, and the author, an officer of the London Scottish, after being wounded, is now an invalid in England. The action of 'War Mates' takes place in this country; its purpose is to stimulate and maintain the supply of munitions. 'War Mates' will be staged by Eille Norwood." ('The Stage', 4 November 1915)

‘Revue will be banished from the Victoria Palace next week, and a real variety programme will be presented. Sir James Barrie’s “The New Word” will be played by a company headed by Helen Haye and O. B. Clarence’. Pall Mall Gazette, Saturday 20 November 1915.

'Play in One Act by W.B. Forster-Bovill and Rev. A.J. Waldron'...'The announcement that the Rev. A.J. Waldron was to appear in person in his new sketch drew a huge crowd to the Victoria Palace on Monday night. Mr Forster-Bovil and "the vicar's" latest effort is less of a play than a dramatic conversation upon a very delicate and important moral question. The question being, in a nutshell, that seeing the over-preponderance of women over men in numbers accentuated beyond thought by the war, should a woman satisfy her maternal instinct and bear a child for the race without necessarily marrying the child's father?" "The Era", 24 January 1917.

The Stage, Thursday 29 March 1917 listed Harry Thurston and company in “The Johnson ‘Ole” at the Victoria Palace, London in Calls for Next Week. Harry Thurston and company in “The Johnson ‘Ole” were advertised as part of the show at the Victoria Palace, London in the Sporting Times, 31 March 1917. The People, Sunday 8 April 1917, advertised ‘Capt. Bruce Bairnsfather presents “The Johnson ‘Ole”’ at the Victoria Palace, which implies that the show continued its run into the week beginning Monday 9 April.

Duncan and Godfrey presenting "A Soldier, a Girl and a Jolly Jack Tar." (The Era - Wednesday 25 April 1917)

The cast included Nina Boucicault (Mrs Lane), A. S. Homewood (Walter Loring), Joan Blair (Ann Loring), and Arthur Hardy (producer)

Performed by Marguerite Scialtiel.

Originally the play was intended for the Argyll Theatre, Birkenhead, but this has been crossed out on the licence notes and replaced with the Victoria Palace.

'“Switch No. 7” [is] a sensational episode by George Rollitt, originated and devised by Harold Heath ... It is a most thrilling situation, but requires a little more confident and deft handling to bring out all its dramatic possibilities. Mr. Harold Heath (late Mercantile Marne) himself portrays the escaped German with latent intensity and convincing celerity of movement. The small part of Ben Williams, a signalman, is enacted by Alfred Beale (late E. Surrey and French Red Cross) in eminently satisfactory style. Capt. Fox, V.C., is safe in the hands of Franklyn Bellamy (late R.F.A.) who acts well; and Helen Christie was capably interpreted by Miss Dorothy Green’ (The Era, 3 April 1918). The Stage, 4 April 1918, reported, ‘On Monday evening, April 1, 1918, was produced [at the Victoria Palace] a sensational episode, in one scene, by George Rollit, originated and devised by Harold Heath, entitled “Switch No. 7.”’ The cast was Ben Williams, Alfred Beale; Captain Fox, V.C., Franklyn Bellamy; The Tramp [the German], Harold Heath; Engine Driver, George Bogue; and Helen Christie, Dorothy Green. '“Switch No. 7” was well received by a large audience on Monday evening, but it will require to be overhauled in order to secure sustained success. As it stands at present its sensational element is none too evenly distributed, and the result is that, while the opening passages are inclined to drag, the final episode is altogether too abrupt. There are also certain dangerous lines which call for revision ... The scenery, with railway lines among the hills in the background, is excellent, and some realistic effects are provided.’

‘If there are any of those iron-willed parents and guardians left over from the good old days who still have an idea that they will be able to exert pre-war authority when the boys get back, they had better go to the Victoria Palace this week, see Mr. A. A. Milne’s comedy, “The Boy Comes Home” – and be warned in time. Mr. Milne’s “boy” comes home to a coercive and cantankerous Uncle James, whose will is law – or it was before 1914. His plans for Philip’s future include “beginning at the bottom” in his jam factory. But the boy has had enough of plum-and-apple, and doesn’t see his way to accepting the avuncular decree. He “turns nasty.” Having got his hand in by worsting the autocrat of the kitchen in an argument about the right time for breakfast, he proceeds to demolish Uncle James. He advances on the old boy while he is still fuzzy from forty winks in front of the fire, attacks, counter-attacks, surrounds the enemy, aided by gentle persuasion in the shape of a service revolver, has Uncle James down on his marrow-bones, with his arms in the air, shouting “Kamerad!” Left to himself again in the armchair, Uncle believes it must have been all a dream; but he has learnt his lesson. As the returned warrior, Mr. Owen Nares, of course, had the sympathies of the house. He was just right in look and bearing for the part, and put in some neat comedy touches. Mr. Tom Reynolds played the not-too-plausible Uncle on farcical lines. It was the only thing to do with him, and he did it very effectively. Miss Dorothy Radford was sympathetic as a sweet-faced, submissive Victorian aunt. Miss Rachel de Solla made much of a brief appearance as the domineering Cook, and Miss Adah [sic] Dick was Mary, the housemaid’. The Era, 11 September 1918.

Performed between 21 and 26 January 1918 at the Victoria Palace. The Era, on 23 January 1918 wrote: 'It is a good idea to bring into juxtaposition these two mothers, the one a poor working woman and the other a lady of title. The connecting link is a notebook belonging to the latter’s son, and sent home by him from the Front under the care of the poor woman’s son, who has been on leave. The rich young man had saved the other’s life, and had also written to his mother about a brave action by some unknown soldier that had saved the situation that day. It was performed by the poor man, who had temporarily “deserted” from the rear in order to be in the thick of the fighting. The reason for the mother’s secretiveness about her son’s name and number is the expected punishment for him, instead of the reward which is evidently to be his due. Miss Clare Greet is at her best in one of her familiar charlady parts, and Miss Elizabeth Chesney played the other character with a quiet dignity, although her voice has not yet accustomed itself to the needs of a large music hall’. The Stage wrote on 24 January 1918: ‘It is to be feared that there is little chance of anything like sustained popularity in the music-halls for Evelyn Glover’s comedy playlet, 'Their Mothers', which was played for the first time in variety on Monday evening by the clever actress, Clare Greet, and her accomplished partner, Elizabeth Chesney. The piece itself is well written enough, but is rather too conversational and intimate for its new surroundings. It was originally seen at the Apollo, and concerns an interview in wartime between two mothers whose sons are at the front’.

‘Godfrey Tearle – with him Arthur Bawtree, Amy Coleridge, Maud Scott, and Ethel Hart – repeats his amusing performance as the hero in A. A. Milne’s topical sketch “The Boy Comes Home,” which was originally produced at this house with Owen Nares in the chief part. Highly acceptable as is Mr. Tearle’s impersonation, it would be more so with a little less restraint’. The Stage, 17 July 1919.