The Chocolate Soldier

Wilton’s Music Hall is a fascinating theatrical venue in the heart of the East End of London, close to Cable Street where, in 1936, at least one Salonika veteran – PC Fred Braysher – took part in the infamous ‘Battle of Cable Street’.

Built as ‘The Magnificent New Music Hall’ in 1859, Wilton’s career was not especially long and it closed in 1881, thereafter becoming a Methodist mission until the 1950s and, after that, a rag warehouse. Having survived attempts to demolish it in the ’60s, it wasn’t until 2015 that it was finally structurally sound. Since then it has become a venue for a wide variety of theatrical and musical performances and even weddings. I have been to a number of shows there and, whilst it cannot be said to have returned to the glory of the original ‘Magnificent Music Hall’, it is a charming and atmospheric theatre.

A recent mailing from Wilton’s about their 2026 season rather stopped me in my tracks. Among the listings – which includes Gilbert and Sullivan (my main reason for going to Wilton’s) – was The Chocolate Soldier by Oscar Straus, an operetta which I had only come across in one context before: the Salonika campaign. Before looking at the connection, here’s more about the show from Wilton’s listing which is on in June:

Oscar Straus’s 1908 opéra bouffe is closely based on George Bernard Shaw’s classic anti-war play Arms and the Man. Shaw did not approve of his play being turned into an operetta and forbade any of his dialogue or his characters’ names being used. It was a very bad business decision on his part as The Chocolate Soldier, a worldwide success, subsequently earned a vast amount more for its writers than Shaw’s celebrated play ever did. Now that Shaw’s work is out of copyright, Opera della Luna have created a new version of the show, restoring much of Shaw’s witty dialogue, and re-instating his original characters.

A new fully staged production; the first in the UK since 1940, when its run at the Shaftesbury Theatre was cut short when the theatre was bombed.

Mention of The Chocolate Soldier sent me scurrying to the invaluable series in The Mosquito, ‘The Songs we sang in Salonika’, which began in September 1938 (issue 43) and reproduced extracts from programmes of pantomimes, plays and concert parties submitted by members. Incidentally – and presumably not coincidentally – it’s the issue with 26th Division’s Gaiety Theatre on the cover.

The Chocolate Soldier was rather an obvious choice for the BSF. It was a comparatively recent hit, having been a triumph on Broadway in 1909, premiering at London’s Lyric Theatre the following year, and continuing for some 500 performances; it was even a silent film in 1915. Then there was the military theme and, most appropriately, its Balkan setting, near the Dragoman Pass during the 1885 war between Bulgaria and Serbia.

Various SCS members submitted their programmes to the Editor of The Mosquito, one of which had been endorsed by the army censor: “Theatre programmes cannot be sent to the UK” – presumably to prevent enemy agents piecing together orders of battle from the cast lists! Details of the show were reproduced in The Mosquito in September 1939 (issue 47).

Produced by the 22nd Divisional Theatre Company at The Frivolity Theatre, it was performed ‘every evening (except Sundays) at 7.30pm’; unfortunately the article doesn’t give the dates. I won’t list all the cast members as there really are a lot of them – if you are keen you can read the original article on the SCS Mosquito DVD – but, to give a flavour, here is the pit orchestra, under musical director, 2nd Lieut. J. Spyer, South Wales Borderers:

• Violins: Pte S J Watkinson; Corpl. O P G Fiori; Corpl. W Barker; Ptes B Harley, S E Watson – all of the RAMC
• ‘cellos: Dr S. Knussen, King’s Liverpools; Dr S F Barker, MGC
• Flautist: Pte W Wakelin, Lancashire Fusiliers

and the back stage crew:

• Stage Manager: Lieut. A J Payne, Welsh Regiment
• Assistant Stage Manager: Pte L A Moreton, Welsh Regiment
• Electrician: L/Cpl F Mather, RE

Having said at the start of his article, ‘This needs no introduction!’ the Editor concluded his piece with:

A show with a punch in it, which no doubt scored a great triumph.

Hopefully, the new production at Wilton’s will also pack a punch and be a great triumph.

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Sadly, I have found no photos of this production or anything else specifically by artistes of the 22nd Division, but the IWM has this photo of a rehearsal of an unknown show:

Private Oscar Bunyard 316 and Private A. Skinner, both of the Royal Army Medical Corps, dressed as Greek pedlars while producing a pantomime for the troops in Salonika, 19 May 1917. From the IWM Online Collection (Q 54735).