British Neutrality

“The new play at the Olympic is a nautical and patriotic drama, called ‘British Neutrality.’ It has several interesting and sensational scenes, the most of which are effectively produced. There is little characterization, but the overflowing patriotic sentiment of the piece make it appropriate for Fourth of July week.”

“It was hot last night. We make the statement with unblushing authority. People must have found it hot who stayed at home. People certainly found it so who went to the theater. Yet a great many went. The audience at the Olympic, though it looked slim at first, grew larger suddenly as the festival hour of 8 o’clock came on. At that hour the fiddles and horns of Mr. Baker’s orchestra were stirring the patriotic heart with ‘Hail Columbia’ and ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ which moving melodies fitly ushered in Mr. T. B. De Walden’s new drama of ‘British Neutrality.’” [Rest of review, including plot synopsis, does not pertain to music, except for a comment on the dancing:] Some of the incidents of the performance last night were ludicrous; the dance of the sailors, for instance. Women in male attire are nearly always absurd. They are particularly so in this Jolly Tar Jig, in which all of them wore waterfalls—except one, who wore curls. The audience was delighted with the dancing, however, and asked for its repetition.  “British Neutrality’ is, at least, a good Fourth of July drama . . . . [but it is not] an important or intrinsically valuable contribution to the literature of the stage.”

“ . . . . The hornpipe by eight young lady sailors, although manifestly adapted from the Flying Send, was very good. . . . ”

[last performance]

“ 'British Neutrality' was produced at the Olympic Theatre on the 1^st inst. and kept the stage during the week. A greater amount of trash and a worse produced piece we have not witnessed since the production of 'The Balloon Wedding'. [Tirade about the play being adapted from a prize drama, 'True to the Core', by T.P. Cooke ' . . . Mr. James Mead, the husband of Lucille Western, became the un-fortunate man; and, guaranteeing the management against loss for three weeks, it was brought out at the Olympic on the 1^st inst., and the bungling manner in which it was produced proved conclusively that it had very few rehearsals.' Tirade continues with a synopsis of the plot, as well as a critique of the impossible stage effects that were demanded; and mostly negative comments on the actors, except that '. . . the nautical divertissement, by eight ladies, was very well done, although the idea was not an original one']”