Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 20]
entirely taken up by naval and military officers one was certain of meeting some of ones friends almost any evening you dropped in.
The music was distinctly bright and vivacious, many of the songs becoming quite popular among the flotilla, one an Italian known as "Popolo popolo" soon became as popular as "Tipperary" and the lady who sang it, Donno Ruoma, was as dear to the heart of the English matelot as Marie Lloyd or Vesta Tilly. Another song, this one in French entitled "Apres La Guerre fini" and sung to the tune of an old Parisian ballad known as "Sous la pont de Paris" also became very popular, in fact it is, I have found out since, a song common to all branches of both services naval and military who have served in Europe. The words of either song would I am afraid, hardly have bare translation with into English, and would certainly cause the "Tivoli" to loose its licence were either of them sung there.
This theater certainly struck the right note in putting on turns of a frivolous and utra-frivolous nature. None of us after coming in after four days of agony and bloody sweat in which we were lucky if we had one hot meal and half a nights sleep, wanted to see a crowd of khaki clad females waving flags, mishandling stage rifles and raving about "honour and glory" and similar tosh such as I had the edification of seeing the other night in one of Sydney's leading theatres. We saw enough of the the real though thing not to despise this cheap imitation stuff so beloved by English theatre managers, and I suppose their civilian audiences. No, what we wanted and appreciated was in the words of a shipmate "Kirchener and plenty of it !" The Teatro Mazzari very kindly obliged.
Every now and again one of the Cruisers would give a concert or a theatrical show and these were extremely popular among both officers and men. One of the best of these was that given by the "Blenhiem" (Parent ship to destroyers) and lasted a week. Costumes and property were got out from London for the occasion and no expense and trouble was spared in turning out a really first class entertainment. It was patronised by all the senior officers - including Flag of the Allied fleets and proved a tremendous suuccess. To see a husky great ordinary seaman simpering in muslim and ribbons as a village maiden was vastly more entertaining than watching a knock-kneed lady with a protuberating chest clad in khaki vainly endeavoring to mark time on the stage of an urban theatre.