Great War Theatre

Address: Plymouth, UK

Performances at this Theatre

Date Script Type
11 Oct 1916 His Heritage Unknown
22 Oct 1917 The Pacifists Professional
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'It is a well-conceived play; it is running over with ludicrous situations and much genuine amusement, but it might be effectually shortened, and more dramatically arranged. Still it is full of good comedy, and it kept the house in continuous laughter ... The play is admirably adopted [sic - adapted?] to show the folly of seeking an ignoble peace which only leads to disastrous war’. Western Morning News, 23 October 1917.
17 Feb 1919 Searchlights Professional
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‘Searchlights is successfully played by the repertory company. Robert Blaine is portrayed by Richd. A. Greene with great power and skill. Maud Garth is distinctly good as Mrs Blaine. R. Marris Davis does well in the rôle of Sir Adalbert Schmaltz, whose daughter Phoebe is charmingly played by Kathleen Gerrard. Harry Blaine is in the skilful hands of Clifton Earle’. The Stage, 20 February 1919.
27 Oct 1919 The Live Wire Professional
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‘A very lively, ingenious, and entertaining spy play is “The Live Wire,” from the pens of Messrs. Douglas Hoare and Sydney Blow, which, done at the St. Martin’s Theatre, London, as recently as last autumn, is to have its first production in the West of England at the Repertory Theatre, Plymouth, next week. It is a piece entirely of incident, with little or no attempt at characterization, and chock-full of false scents and artfully devised schemes for arousing suspicions with regard to the wrong persons. [That sentence is taken from The Stage, 5 September 1918!] It is well calculated to both thrill and amuse by reason of the skilful way in which the authors have managed to absolutely throw the audience off the track as to who is actually the spy acting behalf of Germany. Miss Marie Robson will be seen as Christina Anderson, supposed to be a Scotswoman, but really a Norwegian, who is one of the staff of “The Daily Wire,” one of many publications controlled by Sir Harry Merstham, a big newspaper proprietor, which part will fall to Mr. Richard A. Greene. Mr. Bernard Merefield is down for Wilfred Carpenter, otherwise known as Chips, whilst others in the cast include Miss Marion Boughton and Mr. Clifton Earle. It should be noted that the performances next week will commence with a short humorous and musical recital by Mr. Bernard Merefield, the possessor of a voice of great range and sweetness, who will include some of his own original compositions in this novel curtain-raiser. There will be the usual matinée on Saturday’ (Western Morning News, 25 October 1919). Also reviewed in the Western Morning News, 28 October 1919: ‘Efficiently cast, it had a most favourable reception’.
15 Mar 1920 The Title Professional
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‘Arnold Bennet’s plays are immensely popular at the Repertory Theatre, Plymouth, and the first production locally next week of that gifted author’s comedy, “The Title,” from the Royalty Theatre, London, should prove a great source of delight to all playgoers. Mr. Bennett’s latest work will be found to be as charming, as pungently humorous, and as delightfully satiric as anything he has written; its plot all concerns the objection of Mr. Culver to the receipt of a title, which a grateful Government is desirous of bestowing on him for services rendered his country during the war; of his wife’s insistence that he shall accept the honour offered him, and his son and his daughter’s very strong objection to owning a father with a “handle to his name.” Out of this slender idea Mr. Bennett has evolved a comedy which is refreshingly as it is delicate and laughter provoking. Miss Marie Robson and Mr. Frederick Victor will be seen in the principal parts; Mr. Bernard Merefield and Miss Marion Boughton will play the son and daughter respectively, whilst Miss Maud Garth figures as Mr. Culver’s secretary, Miss Starkey’ (Western Morning News, 13 March 1920). Reviewed in the Western Morning News, 16 March 1920: ‘Mr. Arnold Bennet’s delicious satire is never so barbed as when it is winged with humour, and in the comedy, “The Title,” which was presented at the Repertory Theatre last evening, the events of the past five years are shown to have provided his pen with ample scope for kindly, but pointed, ridicule’.
7 Mar 1921 The K.C. Professional
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‘“The K.C,” to be produced at the Repertory Theatre, Plymouth, next week, is a new play [sic], by Dion Titheradge (brother of Madge Titheradge, of Drury Lane Theatre), which has proved its popularity by paying many return visits to theatres throughout the country. The plot centres round Sir Benjamin Oddington, K.C., an old lion of the law. Partly asleep under the influence of good Hampshire air, and grown gentle under the spell of good literature, he is one of the strongest, yet most lovable and fascinating characters ever created. This important rôle falls to Mr. Rex Gerard, who will be supported by Mr. William Daunt, for some time a leading member of the Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool Repertory Theatres; and the well-known actress Miss Marie Dix is included in a company eminently worthy of interpreting such an excellent play' (Western Morning News, 5 March 1921). Noted in The Stage, 10 March 1921.
4 Apr 1921 The Freedom of the Seas Professional
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Performed by Louis Victor by arrangement with Thomas C. Dagnall for the week: Louis Victor, Nancy Warner, Fred Elvin, Ryeland Leigh, Muriel Kelly, Fred Emery.
1 Sep 1924 The Man Who Stayed At Home Professional
23 Dec 1929 A Kiss For Cinderella Professional
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‘This year in Plymouth … at the Repertory Theatre Barrie’s “A Kiss for Cinderella” will run for two weeks’. Western Morning News, 30 November 1929. The Western Morning News, Tuesday 24 and 31 December 1929, published reviews of the production.
2 Feb 1930 The Inca Of Perusalem Amateur
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‘The programme at the meeting of the Plymouth Playgoers’ Circle last evening at the Repertory Theatre consisted of the reading of the duologue A marriage has been arranged, by Alfred Sarto, and G. Bernard Shaw’s play, The Inca of Perusalem. Mr. H. W. Gofrin(?) and Miss Lilian I. Neels presented the former, and Messrs. R. Fowler Knight, D. Richardson, Leslie Robinson, and J. Andrewartha, Mrs. Madge Taylor, and Miss Marjorie Sanders were responsible for the play’. Western Morning News, 3 February 1930.
9 Jun 1930 General Post Professional
7 Sep 1931 A Kiss For Cinderella Professional
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‘Encouraged by previous success the Repertory Players are reproducing Sir J. M. Barrie’s charming play “A Kiss for Cinderella,” and the patronage accorded it last night is an indication that large and appreciative audiences will be the order for the remainder of the week’. Western Morning News, 8 September 1931.
20 Mar 1933 The Freedom of the Seas Professional
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Performed from 20-25 March 1933 by Noel Morris (actor), A. Davenport Adams (actor), Hilary Meadows (actress), Olga Birkbeck (actress), John Durant (actor), Bernard Copping (actor), Roy Reynor (actor), Arthur Hewlett (actor), Ernest Pollard (actor), Cecil Bagnall (actor).