King's Theatre, Hammersmith

The Era, 3 February 1915, listed The Man Who Stayed at Home (Vedrenne and Eadie Co.) as On The Road from 1 February at the King’s Theatre, Hammersmith.

The final performance date 20 March 1915 is not certain. ‘Hammersmith and West Kensington playgoers will find a notable attraction at the King’s Theatre this week in the English version M. Fonson’s thrilling war-drama, “La Kommandatur" ... nothing has more graphically delineated the rage and humiliation of Belgium and the Belgians under the German invaders. Translated into vigorous English, and well acted, the play should be as enthralling as it was in French; and even those fine actors MM. Duquesne and Libeau should have no difficulty in finding adequate successors among their English confrères’ (Pall Mall Gazette, Tuesday 16 March 1915). ‘Most of the plays provoked, or evoked, by the war, have been rubbish; but Fonson’s drama, “La Kommandatur,” despite a needlessly melodramatic ending, is a play of great merit, so it is a good thing that an excellent English version, by Celia Storm and Ine Cameron, has been produced ... The question of language prevented a real success from being won at the Criterion; but, in our mother-tongue, this strong, poignant story of the German invasion of Belgium will make a great impression on all classes of playgoers, except the callously frivolous' (The Sketch, Wednesday 24 March 1915).

The Stage - Thursday 02 September 1915

‘Civilians have now learnt the full value of the supremacy of the seas won by our gallant sailor-men, and what they owe to the Navy. They know now they are dependent on the free passage of our ships for their food supplies. This should give additional interest to the naval drama of to-day, “For Sweethearts and Wives,” which Mr. Mulholland announces will be presented for the first time in the West End at the King’s Theatre, Hammersmith, on Monday next, Sept. 17, and during the week at 8 p.m., with a matinee performance on Thursday at 2.30. The battleship of today is a triumph of engineering. She is no longer dependent on the fickleness of the wind. Her sails have been superseded by the propeller driven by mighty engines of 50,000 horse power. One immense tripod mast, with topmast, and top-gallant mast rises up from midships, carrying signal yards, searchlights, fire control station, and the wireless some 200 feet above the level of the sea. Round the inventors, builders, and crews of these magnificent ships, Arthur Rosebery has woven the story of “For Sweethearts and Wives.” We have read of daring midshipmen, lieutenants, captains and admirals, but very little of our engineer officers, who give the ship her motive power and life. In the Dogger Bank fight, the noted athlete, Engineer-Captain Taylor, M.V.O., brought his ship into fighting range of the Bluecher. He was the only officer of his ship killed in that engagement, but his wonderful driving of his ship won for his branch of the service the much-coveted executive curl(?) and oak leaves. This is the type of man Arthur Rosebery has selected for the hero of his play, whom he calls Frank Manley. Frank’s inventions revolutionise marine engineering and incur for him the enmity of the unskilled labour cast aside by his inventions, whilst he is beset by spies eager to steal his secrets for our enemies. He aspires to the love of his master’s daughter, and is promptly dismissed for his presumption. How he triumphs over the foe, runs the spy earth, wins the approval of all his fellow men and the woman he loves, is told in four exciting acts through a series of interesting scenes that introduce us to the shipbuilder’s office, the birthplace of battleships, the quarter-deck, the interior of a submarine, a supply ship, and “The Church by the Sea.” For the Den scene, models of the submarine and destroyer have been specially made by the Clyde Engineering Works' (Acton Gazette, 14 September 1917).

‘At Mr. Mulholland’s … theatre, the King’s, Hammersmith, the attraction this week is “Sweethearts and Wives”’. The Era, 21 August 1918.

Performed by the company from the Haymarket, from 17-22 February 1919. Cast included: Dennis Eadie (actor), James Carew (actor), Holman Clark (actor), Fred Grove (actor), Marie Lorne (actress), Evelyn Ormonde (actress).

Performed for the week.

Performed from 4 to 10 April 1920 as part of a 'holiday programme' by Alfred Gray (actor), Queenie Finnis (actress), Charles Poulton (actor), Garrett Hollick (actor), Reginald Turner (actor), C. Haviland Burke (actor), Tommie Butler (actress), Marion Beresford (actress), Ernest Owttrim (actor), Arthur Hardy (Producer).

With Alfred Paumier and Annie Saker in their original roles.