The Reprisal, or The Tars of Old England

The Reprisal, or The Tars of Old England is a comedy in two acts by Tobias George Smollett (1721 – 1771).

The original text
First performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane on January 22 1757.

Published anonymously.

Translations and adaptations
A play billed as The Tars of Old England was apparently performed in Cape Town in 1808, and was possibly an adaptation of Smollett's play, given the title and the description as a "delightful comedy", though it may also have been a new version of Britain's Brave Tars, or All for Saint Paul's, a special celebratory piece by John O'Keeffe, written for the naval victories of 1797, as O'Keeffe's work was popular in Cape Town at the time.

Performance history in South Africa
1808: The Tars of Old England performed in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the Garrison Players on 16 July, 1808, with The Agreeable Surprise (O'Keeffe).

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