Tommys Log Merchant Navy Theatre

THE MERCHANT NAVY THEATRE - MNT

There had been theatrical organisations in most of the camps previously occupied by Merchant Navy PoWs but once the acting talent was collected together in Milag, the Merchant Navy Theatre, or MNT as it was more familiarly known, became the focus of camp entertainment. There had, of course, been a sucessful Playhouse Theatre Company in Sandbostel, started by Cyril Mann and Bill Campbelton and arriving at Milag before the other producers, they founded the MNT.

Henry Mollison, a Shakespearean actor, had originally gathered a few enthusiasts together at the Jewish internment camp at Drancy, outside Paris, in 1940, and between them they had brought some very necessary light relief to the 650 merchant seamen held there. Mollison, had been well known in the West End pre-war, and had starred in several films including such immortal titles as "McClusky the Sea Rover" and "They Met in A Taxi"! 51

The title, Merchant Navy Theatre, was first given to the theatre in Wülzburg Castle, formed in 1940, under the direction of John Atkin with the assistance of Arthur Gatwood, Norman Longmuir and Raymond Mays, all assistant stewards from the Orama. Their first production, at the beginning of October 1940, was "Mystery in White", a comedy thriller. This was followed before the end of the month by a musical evening entitled "Bavaria Calling". Amongst those who provided the entertainment in Wülzburg were the actor, Milo Lewis,52 one of the Orama's assistant stewards, as well as Tommy Reilly, the harmonica player and Vic Hammett and his band, all but the first having been interned in Germany at the beginning of the war.

The theatrical team in Milag was further strengthened by the arrival of the Orama Band and in February 1943, produced "Mine Own Countrie", a selection of songs of home. Jack Bolesworth and Neil Block were responsible for virtually all the orchestration.

Under Mollison and Milo Lewis, the theatre went from strength to strength and despite being restricted to one end of a galley-barrack at the officers' end of the camp, provided many with entertainment and a welcome diversion from camp life. The necessary rehearsals, production of scenery, props and costumes gave a purpose to lives otherwise empty. With official permission the existing small stage was extended and moveable side-flats, drapes and back-drops constructed. On this makeshift stage fourteen slick, professional variety shows and plays were produced under Mollison's directions.53

There was so much talent in Milag that the MNT boasted some 200 members divided into three companies, each with its own producer. Such was the competition that,as Leslie Lace, Sir Ernest Cassel, wrote in his camp diary;

At this time too, new producers sprang into the limelight - in more than one sense of the word - and Henry had to put his best leg forward to keep in the forefront.

The growing success of the Theatre brought its own problems. The accommodation in the officers' galley soon proved too small to provide the necessary rehearsal space for all the companies and their accumulated props. The German camp authorities, recognising the value of the theatre, agreed to allocate Barrack 27, one of the newly-build barracks in the ratings part of the camp as a new, permanent home for the MNT. "Panto Pie", the last production in the old theatre, was generally regarded as a flop despite Mollison having cajoled the Germans into printing proper programmes.

Camp funds paid for carpenters to turn this otherwise empty hut into a theatre. All internal partitions were torn down, leaving only two small rooms either side of the main entrance, and one larger props room behind the stage at the other end. The smaller rooms, the preserve of barrack captains in normal huts, became the box office and the hairdressing room. Wilf Henning, and Ted Reilly, the Port Hobart's electrician and Second Engineer made the floods and spotlights. Dimmers were made from clay sewage pipes set in concrete below the hut floor and filled with a salt solution. One electrical contact was fixed to the top of the pipe and round cigarette tins, weighted down with sand, carried the other contact. These were raised or lowered by levers at the lighting switchboard operated by Henning and Reilly hidden behind one of the wings. Whilst these dimmers controlled the stage and auditorium lights most effectively, they were highly dangerous and were always isolated when not in use.54

The stage itself was erected some five feet above the auditorium floor and the orchestra pit was literally that, a hole excavated through the hut floor! At a later date, three portable platforms were constructed providing 352 seats in four tiers. The new MNT theatre was presented in all its glory, at a grand opening on April 19th 1943, with "The Desert Song."

After resigning from the camp committee, Captain Hill, became deeply involved in the organisation and administration of the theatre. The management committee organised the schedules and tried whenever possible to alternate a musical with a drama. The larger productions ran well over the normal ten days that it took for the whole camp to attend the once nightly shows. Snow White, the Christmas pantomime of 1942-3, ran for a record twenty days.55

The theatre became so successful that for the larger productions, costumes were hired from a Frau. Meyer in Bremen. Payment was demanded in British and American cigarettes from Red Cross parcels rather than in Reichmarks! Even so, the hire charges, equivalent to 5 RM per costume, were felt to be too expensive and, after purchasing a sewing machine with the contents of Red Cross parcels, they made most of their own. The coffee and cigarettes from the parcels were used to buy sheets and art silk. Wigs bases were made from pugaree, a finely woven cloth sent to Milag in large rolls for the Sikhs to use as turbans. To these skull-caps were sewn hair, made from teased out and dyed parcel string.56

The German authorities, recognising the value of having so many men channeling their energies into something harmless yet beneficial to the morale of all their charges, allowed the actors, setmakers and stagehands to be absent from musters. This concession was much envied and was doubtless the reason for many of the volunteer helpers.

Scripts, sent by request from Britain, were copied by hand with references to topical or camp events added. Publicity for productions was usually by hand drawn and coloured posters. Hand made programmes were produced in limited numbers but programs for some of the larger productions were printed by local printers. The full colour program for Rose Marie (January 1943) was a particularly fine example. Thanks to the habit of some PoWs to copy posters and programmes into camp diaries, these examples of PoW art have survived and are reproduced on Plates II to V.

The front rows of the audience were usually liberally sprinkled with field-grey uniforms, the Germans seeming to enjoy the productions as much as the Geffies. Hospital patients were not overlooked, stretcher cases were brought in every night and often to their initial embarrassment, propped up on tables.

"Bish" Rowcroft, 4th Engineer British Commander and Cyril Mann, Orama, produced "The Student Prince" in August 1943. This was followed by a concert of orchestral and vocal selections from the musical comedies, comic and grand opera, "For Those That Like it".

Rowcroft and Mann produced "The Mikado" in April 1944. Rowcroft played roles in most productions as well as being active in the Merchant Navy Theatre management.

Productions of Merchant Navy Theatre

Date Camp Producer

1940 Wülzberg

Oct 2 Mystery in White John Atkins

Oct 30 Bavaria Calling John Atkins

Dec 24 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs John Atkins

1941

Feb 8 The Klung Vase John Atkins

Apl 10 Ten Minute Alibi John Atkins

June 23 If I Were You John Atkins

Sandbostel

Aug 12 If I Were You Arthur Gatwood

Barbary Coast Stan Hugill

Nov 11 To Night's the Night Harry Cousens

Milag

Dec 24 Aladdins Lamp Cyril Mann &

O'Bryen

1942

Feb 15 Bon Voyage Lawrence &

Williams

Mar 14 Snow White and the Seven Twerps Henry Mollison

Apl 11 Tonight's the Night Harry Cosens

May 12 Private Lives Henry Mollison

June 8 Spotlights of London Rowcroft & Mann

June 11 Bandwagon Harry Cosens

Jun 28 Vagabond King & Jimmy Valentine Henry Mollison

Sept 2 Murder on the Second Floor Arthur Gatwood

Sept Ragtime Arthur Gatwood,

Oct 10 Music Hall Rowcroft & Mann

Nov 8 Brightlights of London Rowcroft & Mann

Xmas 42 Panto Pie Gatwood &

Williams

1943

Feb 22 Splinters Hill-Willis

Mar 24 Mine Own Countrie Chordites &

Orama Band

Apl 4 Smoko Harry Cosens

Apl 12 Desert Song Henry Mollison

May 12 Someone at the Door Arthur Gatwood

Jun 7 Blood & Sawdust Roden & Dooley

Jun 23 Ghost Train Henry Mollison

Jul 19 Student Prince Rowcroft & Mann

Aug 11 Rookery Nook Harry Cosens

Aug 30 Smoko Harry Cosens

Sep 9 Laburnam Grove R. Singer

Oct 6 Spanish Main Stan Hugill

Oct 7 The Man Who Came to Dinner Henry Mollison

Nov 5 For Those Who Like it Chordites-Orama Band

Dec 1 It Pays to Advertise Arthur Gatwood

1944

Jan 3 Rose Marie Henry Mollison

Jan 4 Aren't Men Beasts Rowcroft & Mann

Feb 9 Maria Marten Henry Mollison

Feb 13 Front Page Rogen

Feb 20 Merry go Round Maple Leaf Band

Apl 26 Mikado Jimmy Rapp

May 24 Boy Meets Girl Arthur Gatwood

Jun 6 Present Laughter Stan Phillips

Jun 18 Hi Gang No. 1 Stan Phillips

Jul 17 Night Must Fall Gatwood &

Rowcroft

Aug 2 Milagians Smoko Willis & Phillips

Aug 28 Musical Cavalcade Orama Band

Sep 20 Ten Minute Alibi Arthur Gatwood

Oct 9 You Can't Take it With You Phillips

Oct 31 Orama Band Concert Orama Band Nov 11 I Killed the Count Arthur Gatwood

Dec 20 Pirates of Penzance Chordites-Orama Band

1945

Jan 24 Blythe Spirit Rowcroft & Mann

Feb 14 An Hour of Music Stan Phillips

Mar 15 George Washington Slept Here Stan Phillips

Apl 2 Gangway Arthur Gatwood