THEATRICAL INVASION OF BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 43, 16 March 1909, Page 4

THEATRICAL INVASION OF BRITAIN.

KEMAUKA'BLE PLAY AND ITS LESSONS. LOKD ESIIEK'S VIEWS ON "AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOME." Not for years (says the Daily Mail) has a play created suck a sensation as has "An Englishman's Home," presented by Mr. frank Gurzon at AVyndham's Theatre. The author is a military officer, who is, at the moment, abroad, but the play—the story of a foreign invasion of England—was revised and prepared for the stage by Mr. J. M. Barrie and Mr. Gerald du Maurier. The censor at lirst refused permission for the play to be produced, but leave was given when it was pointed out that no particular country was aimed at. Mr Cur/.on informs us that the invaders in the play arc not meant to be Germans. They are simply foreign invaders and do not wear German uniforms. STORY OF THE PLAY.

The first act is genuine satire. A typical British family is at home in Essex—"pa," the comic son, the striving son, daughters, and a suitor for the hand of oni of the girls. They all "rot" the suitor because lie is a volunteer. "Footer" they arc.all interested in—the "right wi'iij!'," the champion five-eights —and "pa" is struggling with diabolo. The comic son, played by Mr Lawrence (irossmith. is superb, typical of hundreds, spending his spare afternoons smoking "cigs.," watching "footer," a "chap" with a salty wit and the true British insular prejudices. Suddenly volunteers are noticed on the lawn.' "Eh. what?" Pa is furious. "What the V But grim men in unknown uniforms appear. The comic son points a rille in jest. Out comes a six-shooter. Tableau! "It's the invaders!" The comic son is reduced to tragedy. Yes.' the invaders have come. A few moments later lie falls dead with a revolver bullet in his brain.

The. last act is a "bully" affair, a regular sie«c and .quite effectively realistic. Down comes the ceiling, bang goes the mantelpiece, shells and bullets sim; through the air. Then the British retreat) is ordered. Striving son thinks he will get a bed at "Aunt Emily's," but British, John Bull "pa" won't budge He's a Briton. Alone, he seizes rille. and cartridge, and peppers away. In comes the Invader. "What, a civilian shooting';" lie must be "shot." Shot? Yes, ■ami shot "pa" is, because he is a. civilian iinil has no right as such to defend his .home and country—which is the moral oi the play. LORD ESHER'S VIEWS.

Viscount Esher, chairman of the County of London Territorial Association, was among those in the stalls at the lirst performance. His lordship said in an interview subsequently.

"The play is simply splendid. I hope that provincial companies will 1)0 formed to take it nil through the great towns. ■lt demonstrates in the first place what mi invasion of England would really mean. In it von see the people who do not understand the subject at all—who think national defence does not matter, and who do not realise what is before them if over a raid on this country hoppens—brought to understand the real truth. . "On the stagci are shown precisely the conditions which the ordinary middleclass householder cannot he brought to believe in, which he ridicules and despises. Here he has exhibited to him with some: exactitude what ho and his I whole family will be subjected to should ' we be invaded. "A second lesson is to throw into sharp outline before the young people of this country the results of men, otherwise perfectly qualified for the bearing of arms, devoting themselves exclusively to their own amusements, to athletics, and to Uotliing which is of national import. Contrasted with those are lh3 yUmng men who do take life seriously, jet who do not lack ill their military work a. large measure of enjoyment. "A thirdlosson is to bo read in the difference between the people who have treated such serious matters as invasion lightly and those who, like the supposed invaders, have been thoroughly disciplined to tie. importance of war. This furnishes some of the most remarkable incidents in, a brilliant play—one which must suggest to everyone-who sees it how neccssarv some skill in anus must be."