Villikins and his Dinah
This title can refer to a popular stage song by an anonymous author, or to a burlesque play, using the song, by Francis C. Burnand.
Contents
The stage song (1853)
The song Villikins and his Dinah apparently emerged in England in 1853 as a burlesque version of a traditional ballad called "William and Dinah". Immensely popular, the tune was later adopted for many other songs, including "Sweet Betsy from Pike" and two farces were written shortly after, to exploit the popularity of the stage song. Villikins and his Dinah (1855) by Francis C. Burnand and Willikind and hys Dinah (1854) by J. Stirling Coyne.
Performance history in South Africa
The play by Burnand (1855)
Villikins and his Dinah is a tragico-comico burlesque in one act by Francis C. Burnand (1836-1917)[1]
The original text
According to Wikipedia[2], Burnand's play was one of at least two farces written to exploit the popularity of the stage song Villikins and his Dinah, which had emerged in England in 1853 as a burlesque version of a traditional ballad called "William and Dinah". Immensely popular, the tune was later adopted for many other songs, including "Sweet Betsy from Pike". The other farce based on the song is Willikind and hys Dinah (1854) by J. Stirling Coyne.
Burnand's play was expressly written for Amateur performance, and first performed on November 8, 1855, at the A.D.C. Rooms, Cambridge. The text was published by T.H. Lacy in 1855(?).
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
1867: Performed by the 9th Regiment in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, on 25 May, with a "Gymnastic Display" and Mrs White (Raymond).
1867: Performed by the 9th Regiment in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, on I June, with a "Gymnastic Display" and Jack's Delight (Williams).
Sources
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villikins_and_his_Dinah
Facsimile version of the original text by T.H. Lacy, HathiTrust Digital Library[3]
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