The Floating Beacon, or The Norwegian Wreckers

The Floating Beacon, or The Norwegian Wreckers is a nautical melodrama in two acts by Edward Fitzball (1792–1873).

The play is credited to Edward Ball in some versions.

Also found in shortened form as The Floating Beacon

The original text
According to the author, the text was apparently influenced by a summary he had read of The Light Tower, a German tragedy by an unnamed author (Burwick, 2015: pp. 220-221).

Fitzball's own play was first performed to great success in the Surrey Theatre, London, on 19 April, 1824. The text was printed by and for J. Lowndes in 1824.

South African productions
1833: Performed in Cape Town in the African Theatre by the All the World's a Stage (as The Floating Beacon) on 13 July, with The Six Simpletons, or The Press Gang (a "ballet dance"),  The First of April (Boaden) and a new pantomime, Clown and Goose, performed by Mr Charles West.

Return to
Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays

Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays

Return to PLAYS III: Collections

Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances

Return to South African Festivals and Competitions

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page