Great War Theatre

Address: Shaftesbury Avenue, London, Westminster, W1D 7EZ, England

Performances at this Theatre

Date Script Type
N/A The Knife Unknown
N/A Hot Air Unknown
N/A Monty's Flapper Professional
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Matinees every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2.30. Prices included Boxes at £1 1s - £5 5s. Stalls 10/6, and Gallery 1/-.(programme, IWM)
N/A Hobson's Choice Unknown
N/A Oh, Boy! Unknown
N/A The Only Girl Unknown
N/A The Man With The Club Foot Unknown
30 Jan 1915 A Busy Day Unknown
12 Apr 1915 Colllusion Unknown
5 May 1915 How Does It Strike You? Unknown
14 Jul 1915 All Scotch Unknown
20 Mar 1916 The Man Who Stayed At Home Professional
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‘When The Man Who Stayed at Home is transferred to the Apollo on Monday the cast will be as follows’: Christopher Brent, Mr. Stanley Logan; Carl Sanderson, Mr. Frank Woolfe; John Preston, J. P., Mr. Sydney Paxton; Percival Pennicuik, Mr. P. Perceval Clark; Fritz, Mr. V. Tarver Penna; Corporal Atkins, Mr. Robert Lawlor; Mrs. Sanderson, Mrs. Robert Brough; Miriam Leigh, Miss Ruth Mackay; Molly Preston, Miss Stella Jesse; Miss Myrtle, Miss Edith Evans; Fräulein Schroeder, Miss Esmé Hubbard; Daphne Kidlington, Miss Norah Balfour. ‘Performances will be given every evening and at matinées on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The season, which is by arrangement with Mr. Tom B. Davis, will be for four weeks only’ (The Stage, 16 March 1916; the cast is also listed in the Pall Mall Gazette, 18 March 1916). 'Those of our readers who have not seen The Man Who Stayed At Home should make a point of going to the "Apollo" before the play is taken off’ (War Office Times and Naval Review, 31 March 1916). ‘“The Man Who Stayed at Home” … was recently taken off after a run of 587 performances’ (Pall Mall Gazette, 22 April 1916).
17 Apr 1916 The Show Shop Unknown
20 Nov 1916 Poached Eggs and Pearls Professional
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'The Lighter Side of the War. Miss Gertrude Jennings, whose talent in working out an idea for curtain raiser has been so marked, provides a delightful bit of comedy at the under title "Poached Eggs and Pearls.'' It is an amiable burlesque canteen for soldiers which run by High Society. Miss Doris Lytton. as the Duchess, is behind the counter, and dulcidly manages. There, too, also, is an absolutely incapable elderly dame, who flounders about affection for the 'dear soldiers'. She referred to in private conversation by one of the Tommies as the 'old bird'. Society waitresses, with their partiality for airmen, are amusingly caricatured, but two of the khaki boys, commenting on the attendants and the food, make even better play. The canteens of the free order are mostly excellent, but the hits against feminine caprices are not mere efforts of imagination, Miss Jennings uses amusingly.' (Derby Daily Telegraph, 22 November 1916)
21 May 1917 Inside the Lines Unknown
21 May 1917 Inside the Lines Professional
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The show played at the Apollo for almost a year until 13/4/1918. Two other companies, known as Red Co and Blue Co, toured the country, often with performances in different cities during the same week! Cast at the Apollo: Eille Norwood (Captain Woodhouse), Frederick Ross (George Crandall), Edward Dagnall (Henry J Sherman), Ida Adams (Jane Gerson), Grace Lane (Lady Crandall), Lewin Mannering (Yucca Len), Franc Stoney (Major Bishop), E Jack Caldwell (Willie Kimball), Gerard Clifton (Mr Clapper), Sydney C Sinclair (Sergeant Crosby), Philip Knox (Joseph Almer), Ernest Leverett (Fritz), George Nicholls (Orderly), Sinna St Clair (Mrs Sherman), Beatrice Hunt (Kitty Sherman), Dulcie Benson (Maria), Estelle Van Gene (Mina)
4 Dec 1917 Their Mothers Unknown
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Performed as part of a Belgian Red Cross Matinee on behalf of the Belgian Red Cross (Ealing Depot). The sketch was performed by Miss Ruth Mackay and Miss Clare Greet cast, respectively, for the rôles of Lady Riddington (a Lieutenant’s mother) and Mrs. Proudfoot (a Tommy’s mother). The Era reviewed the performance: ‘This duologue is so good and so well adapted to the times that it deserves to have a prominent place in a regular bill. It is just a conversation between two proud and fond mothers, one belonging to the “classes”, the other to the “masses”, the uneducated woman trying to shield her boy from consequences of disobedience, her companion patiently endeavouring to prove that the success that crowned his bravery wiped away the fault. It is delightfully written and was beautifully acted by the two talented actresses' (12 December 1917).

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