Theatre in the War Zone

Theatre was an important aspect of the wartime experience for British servicemen in every arena of the First World War. Servicemen’s theatrical activities reminded servicemen of their pre-war lives, providing a ‘safety valve’ for the dissipation of tensions, resentments and anxieties experienced by those serving in the forces. Furthermore, theatrical activities were ‘counter attractions’ purposefully employed to keep men away from less desirable activities. Like sports, music and the cinema, the involvement of servicemen in theatrical productions - as cast, crew or audience - encouraged men away from alcohol, gambling and brothels, the consequences of which could result in indiscipline, violence and venereal disease which were all detrimental to the British war effort. This chapter will examine how servicemen’s theatre was organized by those serving within the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force on various fighting fronts. It will also look at professional civilian performers who took theatrical productions to the troops. From the emergence of the earliest servicemen’s theatrical troupes to the development of professional Divisional Concert Parties, this chapter explores the importance of theatrical entertainments through a discussion of the content and the practicalities of how they were staged.