Shows running in London during 1945

Photo shows: Some of the shows I saw on leave in London in November 1945

I had my first LIAP in November 1945

I have already mentioned this scheme in my article about ULM in Germany but to save you the bother of looking up that article I reprint the details here.

From about 1944 there was an Army scheme in operation called L.I.A.P., which stood for Leave in Addition to Python. Python was the code name for posting home troops that had done four years or more abroad and were due for home posting, whereas LIAP was leave that was now being given to those who had "only" (my inverted commas) done two years and nine months overseas service.

In November 1945 I became qualified for LIAP and was able to spend a wonderful month in London.

It was ‘the done thing’ in those days to pack as many shows as possible into one’s home leave, particularly if, as in my case, one lived in London. When I got back to Trieste, after my leave, I made a collage of programs from just some of the shows that I saw and the list makes interesting reading.
1. Ivor Novello in ‘Perchance to dream’
2. Terrence Rattigan’s “While the sun shines’
3. Revudeville at the Windmill Theatre
4. Another farce “Is your honeymoon really necessary?”
5. “Can-Can” with music by Offenbach
6. “High Time” at the London Palladium
7. The farce “Fifty-Fifty” by Larson Brown
8. No room at the Inn
9. The Brothers Karamazov