‘By Request’ programme
Monday March 7th 1927
—ooo0ooo—
During the run Gracie took ill (an eye infection from a dirty towel) and Betty, who at the time was playing in ‘A Week’s Pleasure‘, (another Pitt review) stepped in for a few weeks. Gracie also had more time off for a throat infection – unlike the 7 years unbroken performances with ‘Mr Tower of London’.
At some point for a few weeks during the tour, Gracie also took over Betty’s part in ‘A Week’s Pleasure‘ when Betty was taken ill with depression – so all in all, quite a fraught few years!!
Archie didn’t appear in ‘By Request‘ (which I’m sure Gracie was pleased about!), but both Tommy and Edith had starring roles.
Information and photographs thanks to Mervyn Rossini
Below is a list of the tour dates for ‘By Request‘ (it’s always interesting to see how close she got to you, even if we are 90 years too late!). There are some gaps and we can assume these were for ‘time off’.
1925
Sep 21st
Oct 6th
Oct 12th
Oct 19th
Oct 25th
Nov 3rd
Nov 10th
Nov 17th
Dec 2nd
Dec 18th
Dec 29th
Tower – New Brighton
Palace – Oldham
Hippodrome – Wigan
Empire – Leeds
Hippodrome – Sheffield
Hippodrome – Newcastle
Hippodrome – Liverpool
Hippodrome – Birmngham
Grand – Clapham
Empire – Finsbury Park
Hippodrome – Bournemouth
1926
Jan 4th
Jan 11th
Jan 18th
Jan 25th
Feb 1st
Feb 8th
Feb 15th
Feb 22nd
Mar 1st
Mar 8th
Mar 15th
Mar 22nd
Mar 29th
Apr 5th
Apr 12th
Apr 19th
Apr 26th
May 3rd
May 10th
May 17th
May 24th
May 31st
Jun 7th
Jun 14th
Jun 21st
Jun 28th
Jul 5th
Jul 19th
Jul 26th
Aug 2nd
Aug 10th
Aug 17th
Aug 24th
Sep 9th
Sep 16th
Sep 23rd
Oct 2nd
Oct 9th
Oct 21st
Nov 2nd
Nov 9th
Nov 16th
Nov 22nd
Nov 29th
Dec 7th
Dec 14th
Dec 21st
Hippodrome – Southampton
Hippodrome – Wilsden
Hippodrome – Brighton
Hippodrome – Portsmouth
Hippodrome – Southend
Empire – Croydon
Empire – Kingston
Empress – Brixton
Olympia – Shoreditch
Palace – Hammersmith
Empire – Lewisham
Empire – Kilburn
Empire – Islington
Palace – Chelsea
Hippodrome – Wolverhampton
New Theatre – Northampton
Empire – Sheffield
Empire – Swansea
Empire – Newport
Empire – Cardiff
Grand – Birmingham
Palace – Halifax
Palace – Hull
Palace – Huddersfield
Empire – Nottingham
Grand – Hanley
Alhambra – Bradford
Empire – Stratford
Empire – New Cross
Empire – Newcastle
Palace – Edinburgh
Empire – Glasgow
Palace – Blackpool
Palace – Salford
Bedford – Camden Town
Empire – Bristol
Kings – Portsmouth
Palace – Plymouth
Empire – Penge
Palace – Blackburn
Grand – Bolton
Palace – Grimsby
Hippodrome – Leeds
Empire – Middlesborough
Hippodrome – Wigan
Hippodrome – Warrington
Alexandra – Stoke Newington
1927
Jan 8th
Jan 15th
Jan 21st
Jan 28th
Feb 3rd
Feb 10th
Feb 17th
Feb 24th
Mar 2nd
Mar 9th
Mar 23rd
Mar 29th
Apr 5th
Apr 12th
Apr 25th
May 2nd
May 16th
May 23rd
May 30th
Jun 7th
Jun 14th
Jun 21st
Jun 28th
Jul 5th
Jul 12th
Jul 19th
Aug 1st
Aug 8th
Aug 15th
Aug 22nd
Aug 30th
Sep 7th
Sep 14th
Sep 19th
Sep 26th
Oct 2nd
Oct 9th
Oct 16th
Oct 23rd
Oct 30th
Nov 6th
Nov 13th
Nov 20th
Nov 27th
Dec 4th
Dec 11th
Palace – Reading
Palace – Oldham
Grand – Doncaster
Palace – Leicester
Hippodrome – Norwich
Hippodrome – Ipswich
Hippodrome – Aldershot
Empire – Kingston
New Theatre – Northampton
Hippodrome – Derby
Hippodrome – Rotherham
Theatre Royal – Darlington
Hippodrome – Rochdale
Hippodrome – Liverpool
Empire – Wood Green
Empire – Chiswick
Empire – Swansea
Empire – Newport
Hippodrome – Manchester
Hippodrome – Bristol
Hippodrome – Birmingham
Empire – Shepherd’s Bush
Empire – Devonport
Theatre Royal – Torquay
Empire – Chatham
Empire – New Cross
Theatre Royal – Dublin
Royal Hippodrome – Belfast
Palace – Salford
Hippodrome – Birkenhead
Hippodrome – Coventry
Alhambra – Morecombe
Her Majesties – Walsall
Empire – Nottingham
Opera House- York
Hippodrome – Stockton
Hippodrome – Aston
Hippodrome – Boscombe
Hippodrome – Southend
Hippodrome – Balham
Hippodrome – Southampton
Hippodrome – Aldershot
Gracie and Fields and Rossini at London Alhambra
Gracie retained at Alhambra
Palace – Blackpool
Grand – Birmingham