The Theatre

'At the beginning (summer 1941) there was nothing. After a while permission was given to convert one end of Barrack 3. Carpenters were found, and timber, and eventually it all took shape. The first priority was something to amuse. In some outside camps there was little other possibility than to find four hairy Australians, roll up trousers, stuff a few pairs of socks up your sweater, place left hand on hip, stretch right arm in air with wrist cocked and pout over the right shoulder and voila! Women!'

'Gradually the customers wanted much more, especially as carpenters, tailors, art directors and electricians were lining up for Stalag jobs instead of working on quarries. The Inner Circle obliged. Stand-up comedians with talent were in demand. Musicians appeared and demanded instruments. Ambitious “straight” actors looked on and by magic, scripts appeared for “serious” plays.'

(Ken O'Kennedy)

View of the stage	Auditorium, Summer 1944

The Players

The list of names below has been compiled from the Cast Lists of a number of productions.

Backstage

Wardrobe: Norman (Totty) Allman  At the beginning he could produce women’s dresses out of rolls of medical gauze. Later he controlled an immense wardrobe of clothes bought with cigarettes and marks.

Scenery: David Bradford  Designed sets, scenery, posters. After the war had his own advertising agency and art studio.

Lighting: John Merricks . A genius. Where did he get the stuff??

Music: Lindo “Fritz” Southworth, ex first viola,  BBC Symphony Orchestra. Ran the orchestra and everything else musical. In the two hundred mile forced march across Greece, he had discarded his blanket and greatcoat rather than leave his precious viola. When ordered to work in a quarry, he had refused even after the threat of a firing squad, rather than ruin his hands and therefore his career as a musician. 

Comedy and Variety: The Two Ernies,  “Mack” and Carroll.  From the start to the end never failed to come up with comedy acts and productions. From Liverpool, also responsible for hiding the radio in the wall of the Boiler Room.

Drama producer and director: Maurice Copus (later OBE)  Carried on this brilliance into post-war life.

Compere and Singer: Johnny McGeorge  Comedy writer and performer sadly killed during the December 1944 raid. Clive Dunn (later of Dad’s Army) was with him only a few minutes before it happened, and later said that this was a terrible loss to post-war radio and TV. 

A certain young man came into the camp one day having been working on a farm. He did an act in one of the variety shows as a stand-up comedian which proved hilarious. He was Clive Dunn who went on to gain national fame as Corporal Jones in 'Dad's Army'. 

The Orchestra

The main orchestra for the Theatre was The Hottentots, consisting of the following players:

Lindo Southworth: Double Bass
Ken Wilmott: Saxophone
Alan Ring: Saxophone
Dudley Marples: Saxophone
Joe Bryan: Trumpet
Norman Allman: Trumpet
Ted Haskell: Drums
Bert Watkinson: Xylophone
Max Mouna: Keyboard

Some of the shows

Lilac Time
Arabian Nights
Lucky Break
Show Boat
Spring Carnival
Pygmalion
Someone at the Door
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
The Monkey's Paw
The Wind and the Rain
$1 Million Revue
Vermillion Vodka
Merrie England (August, 1942)
Jack and the Beanstalk (December, 1942)
Big Shots in Hot Spots (August, 1943)
Hawaiian Paradise (April, 1944)
Hitting High (June, 1944)
Roman Holiday (August, 1944)
Let's Get Lost (September, 1944)
The Skin Game (Late 1944)
Glamorous Nights (December, 1944)

The End of the Theatre

'We had been trying for months to stage 'Glamorous Nights', without success. The German censor who dealt with all our plays didn't like Noel Coward's military-style music at all. According to him, the music was far too military and that some of it was too patriotic. Having transposed all Clive Dunn's music, Fritz (Southworth) and Ken Willmott had the doubtful privilege of altering all of the remaining music. However, this great musical went on at last, playing to packed houses all week. On the Saturday night, two chaps who shared a room behind the theatre had found an electric hot plate but, unfortunately, they left it on whilst they saw the show. It could never be proved but, halfway through the show, the whole place was a blazing inferno. The wooden structure was engulfed in flames and we were lucky to get everybody out. Our beloved theatre, including all the props and costumes, was lost. Some of the boys were in tears as they saw the results of all the work they had lovingly put in over so many years being destroyed in an hour.'

(Eric Fearnside)

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