In Exile with Shakespeare: British Civilian Internee Theatre at Ruhleben Camp, 1914-1918

‘Best love’: Female impersonation in the Great War

“…In some camps, prisoners had to construct their own barracks and slept on the ground until they did so; in others, prisons had well-appointed libraries and theaters. 5 Civilian internees also experienced imprisonment; though they called themselves ‘prisoners of war’, they have not been categorized that way (Hoenselaars, 2011). At both sorts of prison camps, entertainment provided a sort of emotional sustenance.…”

“…Theatrical productions and concerts allowed players a generative moment, but theater-goers experienced any number of pleasures from the productions. Ton Hoenselaars (2011) explains that while theatrical productions like Shakespeare’s As You Like It could provide meaningful ways to understand the experiences of war, the physical pleasures of being in a theater could also provide the impetus for attendance as could the cultural acceptance of ogling younger men who played female parts.…”