THE history and achievements of the Chungkai Theatre is one of the most creditable things in our Prisoner-of-Warship, some of the shows being put on with extraordinary skill in producing, acting and décor. Every week practically the whole camp turned out to see the performance and within a couple of months the standard we found in Chungkai when we arrived was enormously improved.

On our arrival in the camp the whole scene was dominated by ‘Fizzer’ Plumbton. ‘Fizzer’ was an amateur actor and comedian of great ability, and seemed equally at home acting a straight part in a play, a genial ass in a musical comedy, or on occasion he would get down to what he and his lyric writer called ‘the real, red-nose stuff’. Second to Fizzer was Eddie Evans, who had been running all the entertainment for the hospital. Eddie was an O.R. and his forte was the collection and compèring of Variety Shows. He was the prime spotter of variety talent in camp and had great gifts as a compère of the old Music Hall type. Lastly, the Dutch had a company of their own, which put on an entirely Dutch show once in six weeks.

Into the middle of this set up strode our producer and professional Leo Frick. I could never understand why Leo asked me to be his A.S.M. for we instinctively disliked one another and ended up by having a row and parting for good. But in spite of any personal likes or dislikes, everybody had to hand it to Leo because he put on the highest standard of steady entertainment seen in any camp in Thailand, and kept it up in Chungkai alone for a year; and he worked himself untiringly and unceasingly, expecting everyone else to do the same. His friends said that he was a genuine artist, a great asset to the camp, and his temperament, unavoidable; his enemies called him an egotistical fellow of little depth; and the Theatre attitude was to ignore his temperament and let him get on with producing.

The entertainment of the camp was in the hands of a Theatre Committee of about ten people. The figurehead chairman was a Lt Col; the Stage Manager was Alec Day, the justest and most balanced member of the body, who survived all rows and intrigues; and he was helped by Peter North, who made all the Stage Props out of bamboo and matting. Hand Props, Publicity and the Box Office were under Reggie Fitch, the lighting was in the capable hands of Stevie, of ‘Shokos’ Folly’ and the wardrobe was the charge of a jovial Humpty Dumpty of a man – very efficient – Gerald le Fevre. There was also, of course, Eddie Evans and then a Hospital Welfare Officer and a Dutch representative. All these people worked in their offices, wardrobe or on the stage itself, and formed a sort of permanent staff.