"AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOME"

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 459, 18 March 1909, Page 6

"AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOME"

REMARKABLE PLAY. A DETAILED DESCRIPTION. "An Englishman's Home," the graphic war drama by Captain Du Marnier (now stationed at Pietcnnaritzlmrg) which created a great sensation when produced at Wyndliam's Theatre, London, is the subject of columns of description, exhortation, and opinion, in the English papers. The London correspondent of the. "Syyuey Morning- Herald" lias seen the drama, and this is what he says:— ACT I. The living room of a country villa, on a foggy hank holiday. Mr. Brown, head of the household, is discovered with his family and a visitor—one Geoffrey Smith, a hilarious London clerk, with a pretty Cockney wit. 111-. Brown—somewhat elderly— is engaged in frantic efforts with a dialiolo apparatus. Spurred on .by -his small boy, wito complains loudly that his father's "style" is not in accordance with the textbook, the old man labours hard to accomplish the "Jessop grip." Amid cries of 'Tve got it!" and dangerous sallies of tho Hying reel, Geoffrey Smith reads aloud to tho two daughters of tho family, from a sporting paper, a vivid account .of a Cup Tio football match,'and lie and the girls comment vociferously, and- with much technical detail, 011 tho points of the game—tho right centre's fine work, the left centre's want of condition, etc. In tho midst of their din, an elder son is alternately composing a "Limeric" and trying to solve a picture puzzle, and 110 appeals vainly for quiet, or, at least, •'a word to rhyme with Wormwood Scrubbs." Entey another visitor, a young man in volunteer uniform. He is at once unmercifully

chaffed by tho noisily humorous Geoffrey Smith and tho girls, for his soldiering propensities, and especially for his anxiety to spend Bank Holiday 011 tho rifle range. Conversation turns 011 tho fog outside. Mr. Brown blames the Government for it. Geoffrey Smith and tho girls speculate on the possibility of its lifting sufficiently to allow them to go up to London to seo the final Cup Tie. Then figures arc seen dimly on the lawn outside —apparently a body of volunteer soldiers. Mr. Brown expostulates angrily with them, through the window —how dare they trespass on his property—isn't an Englishman's home his castle any longer? Enter an officer with two soldiers. They are Germans. England is invaded. Curtain. Cleverly humorous, and hitingly satirical, that first act. Geoffrey Smith is a particularly clever study of an all-prevalent London typo. Mr. Brown is too impossibly absurd, oven for a stolidly insular British citizen. ACT 11. \ Gorman officer in possession of . Mr. Brown's living room. Surrounded by military maps, with a telephone to hand, he issues orders' in abrupt, busincss-liko style. An orderly reports himself after a long ride. Also business-like'. Has been in adjacent lug town. Went about freely. People all knew country was invaded, but were doing nothing except parade the streets in crowds, singing patriotic songs. Saw two British scouts 011 bicycles. "How do you know they were scouts?" "Hoard them talking, sir. _ "Suro tlicy were soldiers?" "Yes, sir." Bicycle lamps; saw their uniforms!" and so 011 —every line a gibe at England's military methods. A little later, tho Germans retire from Mr. Brown's house, first scrupulously paying for their keen. Enter Geoffrey. Smith and tho family, except Mr. Brown, who, still believing tho whole, thing to bo a volunteer sham fight; is speechless with rage. Gooffrey Smith is still hilarious, and becomes moro so after a meal. Enter tho young 'volunteer, spent. Ho has been wandering about all night looking for instructions. Found the town filled with people singing music-hall songs. Volunteers assembled at town hall, but 110 one could tell them what to do next. Geoffrey Smith rallies, him; "Bless yer, we might get three or four davs away from the office over this picnic!" Then tho volunteer turns and metaphorically rends Geoffroy Smith. "Are you mad?" he cries. "Doii't you understand that the whole damned coun-

try's falling down liko a pack of cards, and nil you're thinking about is, a holiday from the oifico?" ami lio weeps.# Geoffrey Smith is quito, cheerful, however, and exhorts the volunteer to "Buck up! There'll bo some fun soon." Shots arc heard outside. Geoffrey Smith jumps on the table, and looks out through the window to sec the fun. Ho falls dead/shot through the heart. Curtain. Tho gaiety has long since gone out of the play. Throughout tlio act, whenever the author's sarcasm raised a stray laugh, it was hissed down all round the theatre.

ACT 111. A company of volunteers enter the Brown' establishment, and proceed to defend it against the enemy. Never were such volunteers, and r.over was suoli a captain. This part of the drama is sheer exaggeration, and is going to hurt the feelings of real volunteers all over the country. The captain is quite incapablo,' and issues ludicrous orders. His lieutenant is a similar caricature. Tho men are no better. Thev proceed to shoot at the enemy, 1500 yards away, but forget to 'put sights en their riiles. German shells whistle weirdly outside, and tho guns boom. .Occasionally—smash! A shell hits tho mark, i wall falls in with a crash, or the ceiling tumbles in ruins at tho feet of Mr. Brown, who stands 14)011 his hearth swearing at everything, but still too densely stupid to grasp tho situation. Tho 111011 aro wounded, and bleed to .death, while tho Brown girls lie about helpless. Good at football, they know nothing of bandages and sick nursing. It is all very pitiful. Finally, the are ordered to retreat, and tho Brown ato warned that they must also go. All do so, save Mr. Brown. Goaded into madness by the wreck of his homo, that elderly BnLOll seizes a rifle, and after many attempts succeeds in firing it, and, incidentally, kills a Gcrm.m or two, now near tho house. The enemy enter, to discover this impossible Mr. Brown Insisting 011 the rights of ail Englishman. Ho is arrested as a civilian improperly under arms, and is led out and shot upon his own lawn.' Qurtain. That is where the play should have'ended —with tho enemy in possession, and red ruin over all—and that was the original ending. But the susceptibilities of the British public had to be considered, and so tho curtain rises again to tho skirl of bagpipos, andßritish regulars aro seen crowding int# the room, covering the Germans with riiles.' The play has been secured by Mr. J. C. Williamson for production in Australia and New Zealand.