A scene from ‘The Burglar and the Judge’, 1918 (b/w photo)

A scene from ‘The Burglar and the Judge’, featuring Lieutenant Norton-Breton as ‘Sir Justice Gyves’ and Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. F Barnard DSO as ‘Joe the Burglar’, 1918. Photograph, World War One, Western Front (1914-1918), 1918. ‘The burglar and judge‘ was one of several productions held by the XVI Corps military theatre company between February and April 1918. Others included ‘Chiselling’, ‘The New Boy’ and ‘Arabian Nights’. Sometimes concerts and plays featured professional artists, but more often included serving soldiers. Some talented soldiers were lucky enough to be released from their units to work full-time in official military concert parties formed by the Army to entertain its men. Other concerts however were ad hoc affairs that belonged to Britain’s rich amateur dramatics and music hall traditions. Usually a divisional or corps concert troupe drew its men from different regiments.