Theatre Royal, Dublin

Albert Sember's company

The Stage, 18 January 1917, listed Samples as On Tour from 15 January at the Royal, Dublin.

The theatre was sometimes referred to in advertisements as the Theatre Royal, Hippodrome and Winter Gardens. ‘Constance Drever is the star in a wretchedly weak sketch at the Hippodrome this week. It is a stupidly constructed sort of thing, and suggests that the author, having reached an improbable situation, and being at his wits end for a satisfactory finish, fell back on the old reliable gag of the whole incident being a dream. I suppose it was horribly doggish to have a bedroom scene depicted on the stage, and a lady in night attire roaming around, but the effect on the audience was no greater than that obtained at looking into the windows of some of our big city furnishing emporiums, where they supply the necessary at so much down and the rest in instalments. In the sketch there was a lot of rubbishy talk relative to an incident in the lady’s career, during which we heard a lot of vague references to Italian nights, skies, and atmosphere, but then we learned she was just dreaming. That habit of talking in one’s sleep must be rather dangerous it strikes one. Anyhow the whole sketch is bosh, and quite unworthy of Constance, who should look out for a little act of a more attractive nature with plenty of music, for she has a voice that is far and away better than you usually hear in light opera’. Sport (Dublin), 2 February 1918.

‘In an all-round programme of excellence [at the Theatre Royal], the principal place is given to Fred Karno’s revuette “Rations.” The production was thoroughly enjoyed. There was no lack of merriment, which was chiefly dispensed by Robb Wilton. The revue is in five scenes, admirably produced and mounted’. Irish Independent, 27 August 1918.