It is a well known fact that these days villains are not above stealing police cars left carelessly in the street. To put the police logbook on the dashboard may prevent the issue of a ticket from an enthusiastic traffic warden, but it is an open invitation to any passing low-life to do a bit of opportunistic thieving. And to score one off the Old Bill into the bargain. The Clarence Theatre had the slightly seedy appearance to be expected of a building erected in the late nineteenth century. London’s grime had taken its toll on the brickwork, and there were one or two places that showed a clear need for repointing. The small windows high up on the front of the building were dirty, though you wouldn’t notice this lack of care once the lights went on. It was, however, no different from the other theatres of its age. The billboards advertised Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and prominently displayed the names of Lancelot Foley and Vanessa Drummond together with their photographs.
