'THE GAY RETREAT'

Evening Star, Issue 19839, 12 April 1928, Page 5

'THE GAY RETREAT'

Commencing at the Octagon Theatre to-morrow is ‘The Gay Retreat,’ a comedy of the war, with the ever-popu-lar mirthmakers, Sammy Cohen and Ted M'Namara, in the leading roles. The story deals with Dick Wright, a somnambulist, played by Gene Camerin, who enlists in the Ambulance Corps after being turned down by other branches of tho service. His chauffeur and valet also join to keep an eye on him and to prevent him from wandering into No Man’s Land in his sleep. These two bodyguards are played by Sammy Cohen and Ted M'Namara, who scored so sensationally as the merrymaking marines in ‘ What Price Glory?’ But their performance m ‘The Gay Retreat’ surpasses even their laugh-provoking acting in the great war epic, and they have ample kelp in creating laughs. There is the Red Cross nurse, Betty Francisco, whom Dick leaves behind in his father s care, and the beautiful French girl (played by Judy King! whom be meets overseas ; also Holmes Herbert as his father and Charles Gorman as the hard sergeant. The performance of this well-chosen cast in a story that is fiHorl with thrills and with a double-barrelled romance and directed by Ben btolotr results in a production that for sheer entertainment is a thing not soon forgotten. A fine musical programme will lie played by the Octagon _ Orchestra, under Monsieur Do Rose, including a selection from ‘lolanthc’ (Sullivan).