Hubert G. Hopkirk, World War I German prisoner at Ruhleben Camp

The following is an excerpt from the website "Ruhleben Story"

"Hubert G. Hopkirk was a civilian prisoner of war in Barrack 7, Box 27. A letter to Mr. Hopkirk, from a Mr H. A. Bell in Loft 6, was discovered for sale on the internet site E-bay in 2005, and the contents of the letter were noted as follows:


                                                                                    
        Redacteur: H. Alf. Bell    .
        Ruhleben (Loft 6) le 1er Mars 1916
 
        Cher Monsieur,
 
        Il me servit agreable de recevoir votre chronique theatrel des pieds depuis Noel, aussitot que possible.
 
        Vous remerciant a l' (???)
 
        Sinceres salut
 
        H. A. Bell.

Hopkirk was also involved in the Ruhleben Theatrical Society, and in the fourth issue of the Ruhleben Camp Magazine (August 1916, p.33), is noted as having been in the play "Othello":
        It is more difficult to arrive at a just appreciation of the performances of Othello which, with Twelfth Night, represented the dramatic section of the festival and brought the celebrations to a conclusion. Mr. Hopkirks's rendering of Othello was a powerful and carefully thought-out study, which realised both as regards method and professional finish the expectations of those who had seen this accomplished actor in L' Enfant Prodigue. The         production as a whole did not support his acting either in quality or point of view. Just as the rich costumes, too heavy, seemed laid on the lighter  Ruhleben scenery which they pushed back into a dim, painted flimsiness, so Mr. Hopkirk's intenser dramatisation overwhelmed the action, reducing the cast to a crowd of puppet-like shadows...

The performance was also noted in the Scotsman newspaper of May 15th 1916 ("Shakespeare Celebrations in Ruhleben", p.7).

This page was last updated on 18 May 2019

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