CARL T. SMITH
Coward was followed, in 1923, with a science-fiction drama, "R.U.R." or "Rossum's Universal Robots". It was written by Karel Capek, a Czechoslovakian. The reviewer linked some political events with the theme of the play: "Saturday night brought us definite news of the elections at Home indicating how the workers of the country, dissatisfied with their lot, turned upon the Government and rose in support of the red flag of Labour. It was a coincidence that on the same night the Hong Kong A.D.C. introduced to the Colony a race of soulless, voteless men-machines, made by man in his own image to do the work of the world while the rest of us recline leisurely in our armchairs; told us they developed discontent and turned and rent their human tyrants".
Walter Sinclair left Hong Kong in 1925. He continued his directing career in Toronto, Canada and the United States.
After his departure, the A.D.C. largely reverted to comedy. It would be unfair, however, to suggest that all their productions fell into the category of the title of a 1925 piece of the A.D.C., "A Little Bit of Fluff". In the years immediately preceding the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, plays were presented by such respectable authors as Emlyn Williams, Terrance Rattigan and Somerset Maugham.
THE LOCAL SCENE
Opportunities were seized to inject local allusions in productions. As an example we give excerpts from the burlesque "Fra Diavolo" given by the Rifle Brigade. The author J. H. Thresher used the original by Byron only as a skeleton on which to lay topical references. His efforts were described as having a decided Gilbertian vein.
As befitting a production of the garrison some of the local allusions were military, as for instance the following references to the barracks at Kowloon. During an altercation between Lord and Lady Allcash, the Lord says to the Lady:
Madam, drive me not,
For if you do, I'll show you soon what's what; I'll make things fly, just like the late typhoon
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CARL T. SMITH
Coward was followed, in 1923, with a science-fiction drama, "R.U.R." or "Rossums Universal Robots". It was written by Karel Capek, a Czechoslovakian. The reviewer linked some political events with the theme of the play: "Saturday night brought us definite news of the elections at Home indicating how the workers of the country, dissatisfied with their lot, turned upon the Government and rose in support of the red flag of Labour. It was a coincidence that on the same night the Hong Kong A.D.C. introduced to the Colony a race of soulless, voteless men-machines, made by man in his own image to do the work of the world while the rest of us recline leisurely in our armchairs; told us they developed discontent and turned and rent their human tyrants".
Walter Sinclair left Hong Kong in 1925. He continued his directing career in Toronto, Canada and the United States.
After his departure, the A.D.C. largely reverted to comedy. It would be unfair, however, to suggest that all their productions fell into the category of the title of a 1925 piece of the A.D.C., "A Little Bit of Fluff". In the years immediately preceding the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, plays were presented by such respectable authors as Emlyn Williams, Terrance Rattigan and Somerset Maugham.
THE LOCAL SCENE
Opportunities were seized to inject local allusions in pro- ductions. As an example we give excerpts from the burlesque "Fra Diavolo" given by the Rifle Brigade. The author J. H. Thresher used the original by Byron only as a skeleton on which to lay topical references. His efforts were described as having a decided Gilbertian vein.
As befitting a production of the garrison some of the local allusions were military, as for instance the following references to the barracks at Kowloon. During an altercation between Lord and Lady Allcash, the Lord says to the Lady:
Madam, drive me not,
For if you do, I'll show you soon what's what; I'll make things fly, just like the late typhoon
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