Impression
sketch of Pierrot troops - by Jamie.
In one small town, some safe miles
Behind the lines, a transformation
Had taken place, some time before
To turn a factory into a theatre.
An unnamed division had then begun
A troupe of the follies at this base
They had preformed for more than six
Months entertaining audiences
The artists included two actual
girls,
In roles of dancers to wear pink
Costumes, with four men of rank,
In the company of one officer.
The male troupes uniforms were white-
Being Pierrot costumes with frills
And red bobs, as they acted out on
Stage made from rough planks.
Their audiences was open to every
Man, a gold-capped general may
Sit by a private - a difference being
1f for a man and 2f for officers.
By use of facial expression and
faces
Chalked the troupes of humourists
Could raise the laughter
louder - with
Various most popular songs sung.
The dancing girls had most
popularity
Said to have artistic merit – this
Mixed troupe had begun back in winter
Months to raise the army's morale.
Mid winter demoralisation had to be
Countered - with trenches deep
In mud and water, Military
authorities
Knew importance of raising spirits.
Such escape offered brief relief from
These physical and metal strains
Of fighting in such conditions, so follies
Fame spread through army.
Such was popularity of these follies
Another division had devised
Their own group of artists to
be
Named as the fancies.
The performers performance improved
With rehearsals and practice with
Making adaptations of their materials,
And introduced a variety of songs.
The one criticism centred on fact how
Their songs were not particularly
Current - so appeals was made for
new
Songs to have appealing chorus.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915 Cheering the Soldier - The Army
'Follies'. The Daily Telegraph, [online]
17 August. P.10. Col.3. Available
at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11796898/Daily-Telegraph-August-17-1915.html
[Accessed: 17 August 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 17 August 2015).
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