Methodist Church (Great Britain) -- Fiction; World War, 1914-1918 -- Fiction
'The people of the country are wonderfully good,' I went on; 'soldiers in
the hospitals, as well as others home on leave, are constantly being
given hospitality by the best and kindest people in England. I hope
these chaps'll have a good laugh this afternoon, and be able to forget
the horrors through which they have passed. They have had enough of the
tragedy of life, poor chaps. I hope they'll get some comedy this
afternoon.'
'I hope they will,' he replied.
I will not attempt to give a description of the revue they witnessed that
afternoon. I suppose it was similar to a score of others that might be
seen in various parts of the metropolis. There was an excellent
orchestra, the music was light and pleasing, the whole atmosphere of the
place was merry. The lights were dazzling, the dresses were gay, the
scenery almost magnificent. As a spectacle it would, I suppose, be
regarded as gorgeous. Apparently, too, most of the auditors enjoyed it,
although a look of boredom was on some faces. As to the revue itself,
while one could not help admitting that some of the songs were humorous,
and some of the repartee clever, the thing as a whole was cheap and silly
and vulgar.
I do not say there was anything positively wrong in it, but there were a
great many vulgar suggestions and unpleasant innuendoes. As a dramatic
critic said in my hearing a day or two later, when discussing the popular
entertainments of London, 'Most of these shows consist of vulgar,
brainless twaddle.' Still, the audience laughed and cheered, and when
the curtain finally fell, there was a good deal of applause. Certainly
the entertainment would be a great contrast to the experiences which the
lads who were home on leave had been going through. But as I reflect on
it now, and think of the great struggle through which the nation was
going, and the ideals for which it was fighting, I cannot remember one
single word that would help or inspire. Of course places of amusement
are not intended to instruct or to fill one with lofty emotions. All the
same, I could not help feeling that laughter and enjoyment were in no way
incompatible with the higher aims of the drama. In fact, what we saw was
not drama at all; it was a caricature of life, and a vulgar one at that.
Indeed, the author's purpose seemed to be--that is, assuming he had a
purpose--to teach that virtue was something to be laughed at, that vice
was pleasant, and that sin had no evil consequences.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account