Queen’s Theatre, Leeds

‘Mr. Ernest E. Norris’s Repertory Co. are at the Queen’s Theatre, with “The Live Wire,” “Brother Officers,” “The Ware Case,” and “John Barrett, Millionaire.” In the production of the first-named play last night, they displayed in agreeable measure the qualities of versatility, freshness and freedom, which flourish best, perhaps, under the repertory plan. “The Live Wire” is a spy play, dealing with matters which are already assuming an historic rather than topical interest, and it may be owing to the new perspective that it fails to convince so completely as of old. In their attempt to keep the riddle unsolved to the very end, the authors have constructed a complicated mosaic of personal history and motive which is rather confusing; but there is no confusion as to the identity of the spy after he has made the first few moves. One great merit the play has - simplicity and naturalness in the dialogue - and it was an ingenious stroke to make the spy a leader writer on the syndicated papers which were attacking the Government on the alien danger’ (Yorkshire Evening Post, 13 May 1919). An advertisement in the Yorkshire Evening Post, 17 May 1919, shows that The Live Wire was performed on the Monday and Tuesday of the week.