Mobilising the Home Front: British Theatre in 1916

It has long been recognised that the theatre played an important role in mobilizing young men in the first phase of the war. Yet, as this paper demonstrates, theatre also played a key role in the second phase of the war: this time in mobilizing the civilian population. In plays such as 'Too Late', 'The Great Redding Street Burglary', 'My Superior Officer', and 'War Mates, thrift and subscription to war bonds was encouraged; industrial unrest was lambasted; and appropriate attitudes and behaviours were promoted. Examining production histories in their historical context, this paper argues that these plays were a response to the new and particular challenges faced in 1916. It further argues that from 1916 the theatre sought to erode the fissure developing between those fighting and those ‘at home’ by presenting the whole nation as active participants in a total war.