Alexander diary, 1917-1918 / Roy Alexander - Page 217
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[Page 217]
1918.
Fri. 30th Aug.
For the last fortnight have been rehearsing daily for our revue "Three Nights", which is quite an ambitious attempt. The theatre has been a mess of paint, scenery; a frantic wardrobe-master has been all over the landscape at once with bits of fluff etc, the wooden headed and foolish looking "ballet" has been drilled to exhaustion and I sail about outwardly cool but really palpitating with stage fright. The heavy advertising & the "caste" placards have made me quaite a celebrity. Dress rehearsals last night and tonight, Smithy (Asst. Purser of the "Matunga" and himself a famous "soubrette") is my dresser. Smithy was to have been leading lydy but as he intended trying to escape (which he didn't attempt after all) he turned it down. Harry Whitaker, who has no voice, is struggling with the part. Tonight's dress rehearsal was a dismal failure & Hampson & self left late in the evening (or early in the morning) prophesying a fiasco.