Show Smoking in London The Theatres atre s s Is Permitted During War WarTo To Assist Managers Fill Houses the Lord Chamber Chamberlain lain ain M Modifies Licenses Upon Request butt l Only a Few Seek C Changes anges LONDON Dec 18 The The sudden consent of the Lord Chamberlain to I smoking in London theatres has settled set- set tIed a controversy which raged furiously furi furl before the war warS when there was nothing more serious to talk about If managers now now consent the playgoer may betake himself to the play with pipe cigar or cigarette and according to the quality of the tobacco asphyxiate the villain at will Lord Sandhurst who received a deputation of west end managers on the s subject expressed his keen wish to help the London theatres particularly particularly particularly at times so difficult for them and he consented if it any manager ap applies applies ap- ap plies to delete from clause 53 of the theatre license the word auditorium auditorI auditor auditori I um urn Thus a stroke of the pen al alI alters alters al- al I the license and a ah 1 allows smoking Clause 53 3 reads No smoking is permitted in the auditorium the orchestra gre greenrooms greenrooms green green- n- n rooms the dressing rooms the wings or or within the precincts of the stage except so far as may be necessary on the stage in connection with the performance Lord Sandhurst said that as the change hange was in the nature of ot an ex ex experiment cx- cx it ought to be regarded at present only as a temporary one say for the duration of the war But the problem uppermost in the minds of London theatre managers today is Is What kind of Play suits smoking The general feeling seems to p be that the darkest tragedies J must not be lightened by the striking of matches s. s while the less serious plays may be helped out with nicotine Two Theatres Seek Sek Change Arthur Chudleigh for the Comedy theatre and Frank Curzon for the Playhouse have applied for the al alteration alteration alteration al- al of license to allow smoking At these two theatres revues are the attraction The managements of Drury Lane Dalys Daly's the St. St James' James the Haymarket His Majesty's Wyndham's and other theatres where the most serious plays are running have no intention of allowing smoking smoking amok amok- ing in their theatres Sir George Alexander In reply to toa toa toa a question what his view on the matter matter mat mat- matter ter was said During the abnormal period the removal of every r restriction possible upon those who cater for the public is wise Smoking Is allowed nearly everywhere now Ladles Ladies do not leave the dinner table when the men begin to smoke and when they go to the drawing room they often take their cigarettes with them There is no reason reason why smoking should not be allowed In the theatre although I do not believe it Is de desirable de- de neither neither th the striking of matches nor the puffing of smoke smoke- during a serious play or any play which has a consecutive interest I Ido Ido Ido do not propose to introduce smoking In the St. St James' James theatre but I I would not hesitate if the audience desired it or If thereby a night could be added to the receipts At such a time as this it Is entirely a 1 commercial question Gerald du Maurier does not think that persons who go to a serious play wish to smoke It is only an Impression he said it Is not a subject you can argue upon I myself do not propose to In Introduce Introduce introduce In- In smoking If a man wants to smoke he can always go out to smoke But should tho audiences at Wyndham's express a desire to smoke their desire would be gratified All the same I should have an un uneasy reeling feeling that the desire sprang from irons nerves or serves or boredom No Smoking at Hamlet Performance Donnie Dennie Eadie who Is a nonsmoker non- non smoker thinks smoking in a theatre is a matter of taste He does not int intend nd to introduce smoking at the Royalty At the Kingsway Miss Lena Ashwell is busily rehearsing a childrens children's children's childrens childrens children's chil chil- drens dren's play play- s It m maTy may y be assumed that smoking will not come Into force in that theatre yet awhile At Atthe Atthe Atthe the same time Miss Ashwell makes it clear that she is in Sn the publics public's hands If It the press she said would find out the opinion of the public rather than that of the managers actor-managers the result might be extremely useful After Arter all aU managers actor-managers are the servants of the public and it Is Js for forthe forthe forthe the public to declare what they wa want Nor has H. H B. B Irving an any intention of ot introducing smoking at the Sa Sa- Sa- Sa voy The removal of ban the may be helpful to those intending to produce revue or anything like that he said It depends upon the class of pia play I myself should certainly not like Uke to play pia a very long part in an atmosphere full fun of smoke smoke Hamlet Hamlet for Instance instance-I I dont don't think It would be possible From the smokers smoker's point of view smoking even at the serious play Is Isan isan isan an advantage A correspondent who pleads for the smoker writes Smoking during Ibsen for Instance in instance instance In- In stance may have its drawbacks but could anything be more mind de destroying destroying destroying de- de than the lady known to most of us who noisily divests a large and luscious chocolate of Its rustling t golden coat during the third act soul Jt storm I ITo To the cigarette smoker nothing on on earth Is more mOle tantalizing than the Sir George Alexander drawing room play in which the young men place beautiful Egyptian cigarettes be between between between be- be tween their lips Ups light them leisurely and sinking into easy chairs blow blowout blowout blowout out clouds of the sweetest smoke before before before be be- fore the eyes of the victims This Is the essence of refined cruelty Help Helf |