Old friends

Monday, March 9th., Cadogan Square, London.

Ernest Thesiger

The embracing qualities of revue seem to be more and more in evidence. I saw Ernest Thesiger last night at Hubert Griffiths' war play "Tunnel Trench". I knew he was to play in a revue (of Cochran's, Noel Coward's etc.). What surprised me  was that he should pass about six weeks in the country playing it before London - he who never plays out of London. He has left the Dauphin in "St. Joan" to go and play in revue. At the "Tunnel Trench" party afterwards on the stage of Prince's Theatre I saw Margaret Halstan who was the original Emily in "What the Public Wants". Hadn't seen her for years. Next moment I was talking to Haidee Wright, said to be our greatest tragic actress, and the real star of "Milestones". She said she had been asked to play in revue. She had enquired what she would have to do in the revue and the reply was that she would have to be an old woman in rags and try to ride a bicycle and fall off it, and that was all. So she refused revue.