LIGHTER SIDE OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 169, 6 April 1918, Page 6

LIGHTER SIDE OF WAR

A THEATRE UNDER FIRE HOW THE NEW ZEALANDERS CARRIED ON (From Malcolm .Ross, War Correr.pondent with the New Zealand Forces in the Fiekl.) January '20. A little more, than a. year ago the New Zealanders decided to havo Ihoii own theatre lui: the entertainment of their fighting men at the front The genesis of our theatre dates bark to the beginning of December, mill, when, after our return from tho Somme, a paragraph appeared in Divisional Routine. Orders asking for performers for a Pierrot Troupe, There was already in existence a. small orchestra consisting: of members of tho Third Field Ambulance that used to play in its spare time at hospitals and vest, stations This was now handed over to the more ambitions organisation that was in process of development under the immediate direction of a. machine-gun officer, who, in fho capital of far-away New Zealand, lias been a. leading "Savage" and musician. The first, idea. wa,i to entertain _ tho men of the division during the winter months only, after which the gn,v Pierrots would go hack to trench and dug-out. for the summer fighting. But the Pierrots had come to stay. Early Trials. The musical "Savage" machine-gun officer was dispatched to London with carte blanche to buy music and <ostumes. After many days he returned to try the voices that had heroically responded to tho call in Routine Orders. These were various. Needless to say no Caruso was discovered. But, eventually, about a dor,en men were chosen to don the motley. Meantime, the carpenters of the Maori Battalion had been set to work to build a theatre. The first theatre consisted of a light wooden framework with a sort of tarred paper.

The first performance was given on Boxing Day to the children of the village. It was decided to try it on the French children first. Though they did not understand, a word of what was said or sung, it was a good augury that they laughed. Any doubts that may have lingered in their minds about the success of the performance were dissipated at its close by the appearance of a Father Christmas, who sent the happy audience away laden with Christmas gifts. The real "first night" was on Boxing Day. The costumes had .;ot arrived, and the troupe played in khaki. There was one amusing incident. While the performance was in full swing there was a' startling imitation of the shriek ind explosion of a. bursting shell. The Pierrots were in .1 semi-circle on the stage, when, suddenly, came the shriek and ihe crash, and the lights wont out. The big drum and the trombone played their parts, and the chairs on the stage were intentionally tipped over as tne lights went out. Ono of the ohairs falling the only back-cloth of the stage, that too fell, and it seemed as if the whole theatre was about to topple down. Tliis was too much for a couple of Maoris, who were sitting in the front row. They really thought the theatre had been hit by a five-point-nine, so they rose hurriedly and bolted for their lives. As none followed, they came back {0 find the whole audienoe in fits of daughter. "!By crikey!" said one of them, his bewilderment ovcrcouie, "that the dam good act."

In these days the stage was lit with acetylene lamps, but the,lamps..worked badly, and gavo off such-a .smoke thatthe Pierrots, who were white at the beginning of the performance, were towards its end more like negro minstrels.

Some Strange Experiences. That winter was one of the most severe over experienced in Flanders, and the Inlletis were cold and uncoiuiortable. The .French chateau is well remembered. .Pierrots' first billet. was a ['arm-house managed by a character who was known as "The Angel." £>he was a veryijgood sort, and looked after the boys well, but onr comrades from Kangaroo Land had been there before us, and "The Angel" had acquired what was described to me as "a very solid Australian vocabulary." This she mixed with her own voluble French, greatly to the amusement of the Pierrots. Fortunately "The Angol" and her two little children were quite ignorant of the meaning of most of the words in the lien' vocabulary!

For a timo the whole troupe, including the orchbKtra, lived in an estaminet. This was kept by a woman, who, in addition to this iew family of thirty-two, had a family of her own, so it may be imagined that the place was somewhat crowdcd, especially when a number of customers from brigades quartered in the vicinity dropped in as well The scene rhen the orchestra was practising, cither independently or all togethei', and the proprietress, with three or four little children hanging on to her skirts was endeavouring to serve her clamouring customers, was one never to bo forgotten, even though it outlines were somewhat blurred by the cloud of tobacco smolco that filled the place from floor to ceiling. "I think that woman was very delighted to see the last of ns," said the conductor of the orchestra, after he had left for fro6h scenes.

i Weeks passed and yet the costumes I bought ; n London did not arrive. The ' management was in despair. Tho re wero no local tailors who could make them on tho spot. Finally, of all places in the world, they wero made at a convent. Tho good nuns .here entered into the spirit of the joke. As they could speak little English and the Pierrots loss French, difficulties had to be smoothed away almost entirely by means of diagrams arid tape measurements, with, many pour-quois on the or.e side and a mixtme of English and "Na-poo" French on the other. Suitably clothed and alt igether in the right frame of mind the New Zealand Pierrots now proceeded along the road to succoss, and their fame spread. Unrler Shell Fire. From the old Arnientieres sector wo shifted farther up the line, and tho theatre was housed in a comfortable little hall in a small town. This was a brick building, and tho Pierrots bad quite a goud stage, of which the scenic artist took full advantage. Hero tho troop was joined by a sapper from the engineers, a young Welliugtonian who had had a good deal of experience on the London and provincial stages. Ho joined up as producer and stage manager, and from that moment the show went ahead with splendid strides. All the performers began to improve, and tho professional touch gave a finish to the entertainments that thoy had ,iot before possessed. 'Hie girl, a neatlimbed young gunner, was quite a draw.

On many occasions this town was vigorously shelled by the Germans. One day in particular is memorable. Very heavy stuff came crumping and whoofing in, and about 5.30 p.m., just as the performance was about, to start, two shells landed at the back of tho theatre only ten yards awa.v from the stage wall. This, in the language of the front line, rather put the wind up the fellows who were putting on the grease paint, but they finished their making-up, and the performance was duly commenced, Twenty minutes af-

I forwards there was an awful crash outside. Thirty yards away from the entrance a shell had burst on a house and blown it to hits. The orchestra, in the middle of one. of their choice selections, became a little more "windy" than before, but both performers and audience were evidently determined to "stick it." However, a senior officer who was present went to the stage manager and told him that it would be wise to stop tho performance as, there being so many men in a small space, there would undoubtedly he a heavy casualty list if a shell were to hit tho building. The stage manager came before the footlights and explained that it was deemed adjvisable to get out. Then the audience rose as one man and went quietly away. Just as the theatre was cleared another shell landed, and burst within about fivo yards of tho front door. Thero were about a dozen casualtiesflesh wounds and broken arms —and there was a. good deal of blood about. The ambulances came up and took away the more seriously wounded. The shelling of the town went on for some considerable time after that, hut 011 no occasion did the German gunners I get so close to the theatre.

I The time had now arrived for tho [New _Zealand Division to undergo its training for the memorable Battle of Messines. The troops were pulled out of the line and the Pierrots were given a, change of scene. They made jaunts in several directions, and gave performances to "Tommy" audiences. In places they drew crowded audiences that were a strange mixture of English, Scottish, Irish, and overseas troops, though the latter were in a decided minority. Open-air performances were also given. Getting Gloso Up. On one occasion the Pierrots went to give a concert on the slopes of Hill 63, which fronts Messines. Needless to say, it was the reverse slope that was chosen. The performers had their shrapnel helmets and their gas respirators at the ready, for you never quite knew what would happen at that corner. It was a beautiful hot June Sunday afternoon, the swallows were flitting about the wood, and the lark was singing in the blue just as if the world was as merry as ever it had been. But, mixed with the orchestral aocompaiument of the Pierrots, came the deeper bass of two six-inch howitzers that fired from an adjacent gunpit, and the scream and whoof of the German shells that, from time to time, went crashing into the locality. However, the Pierrots got safely back that night to their billets at Ni'eppe. ' During the time we were in the Messines sector tho Pierrots gave several open-air performances to . brigades out of the line. TIIO theatricals got shelled out of one spot. A high-velocity gun blew things up into the trees. One night a lot of gas shells were sont over, and box-respirators became a necessity of th 6 moment.

After Messines there was a trek to a district far behind the lines, where tho troops were scattered over a considerable area, and the Y.M.G.A. presented the Divisional Theatre with a huge marquee, which, ever since, has done good service. It will seat between eight and nine hundred men. From this place the Pierrots travelled round in a motor lorry visiting the various battalions that were quartered in the adjoining villages and farms. At one of these villages the Pierrots performed to n Canterbury battalion outside an estaminet on a stage built of two barn doors resting 011 eight beer barrels. The audience occupied the village square. The stage exits were through the windows of the bar-room. Ono of the performers distinguished himself by .falling through the window. History does not record the number of his exits and his entrances. To ailother battalion the Pierrots, who had by this timo become veritable barnstormers, played in ,a , scrim-covercd shed, to get to which you had to wade through deep, mild. Their dressingroom was made from a few biscuit' tins ar.d more scrim. It was brilliantly lit by a couple of candles. The artillery were also visited at their training ground, and an afternoon performance given at tho same time as sports competitions were being decided. On occasions the applause for the Mile Handicap and "I'll Sing Thee Songs of Araby" sychronised. Or thero. were times when the cheers for a sprint final hroke in upon some more_ ambitious theme, causing a syncopation not warranted by the score.

A Tour to the Base. When the New Zealanders went forward to their attacks on the Gravenstn-fel-Passchendaole Ridges no place could be found for tho theatre, so tho Pierrots set their faces coastwards and established thomselvcs for nearly three weeks at the New Zealand .lise. They gave entertainments in various base depots and at hospitals. This tour formed a very pleasant outing, and was in tho nature of a rest for tho performers. They also played two nights at an army school. Everywhere thnv had crowded and enthusiastic audiences. Pantomime and Shell-fire. After some further goings and comings we found ourselves once more in what had been tho old Ypres .salient, j and, in a ruined Belgian town that bad : been both prosperous and religious be- ! foro tho war, the Pierrots met their j marquee again. Another wave of the 1 autocratic democratic hand, and, 10, a j pantomime 1 Winter was already upon us, and discomfort gazed with leaden oyes across a devastated land. The great tent was cold and cheerless, and there was no dressing-room. Some I English engineers who were lumped near by remedied tho latter defect. They built a room in which the mummers could dross and make-up in some degree of comfort. The scenio artist got to work, and the famous citf of Bagdad began to materialise, for the Christmas pantomime was to be none other than "Achi Baba and the I'orty Thieves." Tho sapper from the Engineers was dispatched postrhasto to London, and, after au absenco cf three weeks, ho returned with several large hampors of costumes, many of which wero vory generously presented by Mr. Oscar Ascho and Miss Lily Brayton, of "Chu Chin Chow" fame. Other costumes wero hired from London theatrical costumiers. During these threo weeks tho orchestra was busily rehearsing the music. Then the O.C. of "The Forty Thieves" and his merry men got to work in real earnest. For ten days now tho theatre was closed down, and tho play was rehearsed morning, noon and night. It goes without saying that many of the costumes, procured in a haphazard way. would not fit. For instance the Fairy Queen of tho London pantomimes is probably not more than about fifteen inches round the waist, but our musical conductor w'ho took the part in Flanders is no lights weight, so that the circumference of this light and airy robe bad to be increased to some thing like _ forty inches—an inch for every thief in the play. The two English Rosebuds—a corporal and a. driver —required hut a little less material. As the theatre was in tho evacuated zone, seamstresses were unprocurable, but two members of the orchestra set to work' and did all the sewing for the pantomiine.

Eventually everyone was fitted out with costumes, the sergeant, scenic artist had painted an ideal Bagdad, and the electrician had boen busy with lights of red and white and blue, so that, we could have Bagdad bv sunset. nnd Bagdad hy night, and Ragdad looming np in the distance through "the outer fringe cf -he forest."

There was one thing remarkable about this pantomime. There wora Borne fifteen principal parts in it, so

that, with the limited supply of artists available, all the principals had to l:o chorus, and all the chorus principals. And as there were only eight actors available ior thieves, these had to walk round eight times to make up the requisite number of Captain Camouflage's brigand band.

The opening Jiight saw the theatre packed i<> file entrances, and hundreds turned away. The actors were letter perfect, the orchestra whs really excellent, and the. whole pantomime went with, a swing and a go that greatly delighted the crowded house. Night after night ofliceis and men from the New Zealand and from other divisions flocked lo Achi Baha. There always a queue, at the ticket office, where oflieers paid their one franc and file men their half-franc for admission. A prince of the blood, ai'.d generals (both British and American), graced tho performances with their presence, nut in all the nightly throng ihero was never a woman's face, unless, at least, you looked to the stage, uliero Morgiana, the slave of Cojna and Canen, in her heantiful Eastern draperies, really seemed as if ?he might just have stepped from the green-room in Druty Lane. Certainly a stranger coining suddenly lipon the scene would never have known that she was lie.

And all tho time the play went on to the whistling of military trains, the drono of. the bombing planes, tho resonant reports of the cannon, and, at times, the shriek and crash of enemy shells. Once when tho enemv planes were dropping bombs tho I'ghts had to bo suddenly switched off and the performance was hung up for uea-rlv half an hour. During the year that has just closed the expenses of the New Zealand Divisional Theatre bavo been 30,141 francs, Mid the taking 77.513 francs, lejiviiig net. receipts to the amount of At.6/2 francs. The profits are, of course, put to good use in the interests of the men who were figlitiug in France and Belgium.