Les Diamants de la Couronne

Les Diamants de la Couronne ("The crown diamonds") is a French opéra comique by Eugène Scribe (17919-1861), with Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges (1799-1875) and composer Daniel Auber (1782-1871).

The original text
A play about a Portuguese princess, Catarina, who has to deal with bandits when forced to sell the crown diamonds.

First performed by the Opéra-Comique at the second Salle Favart in Paris on 6 March 1841, and numerous times thereafter.

Translations and adaptations
A Dutch version called De Diamanten der Kroon was devised by local author J.M. Belinfante [], for performance by the Rederijkerskamer Aurora II in 1873.

Performance history in South Africa
1873: Performed in Dutch as De Diamanten der Kroon by Aurora II in the Oddfellows Hall, Cape Town, on 8 May, with Bergen en Dalen (Schuitemaker).

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