A Message from Mars

A Message from Mars is a play by Richard Ganthony (1856-1924)[1].

The original text

It was first performed at London's Avenue Theatre in November 1899 and had a very successful run of more than 500 performances in London. The manuscript was sold to actor Charles Hawtrey, who reworked the text with his brother George Hawtrey, and then took it to New York's Garrick Theatre and Hawtrey's theater company took the play on tour throughout the United States between 1903 and 1905.

Translations and adaptations

The play was filmed in three times (1903, 1913, and 1921).

Performance history in South Africa

1901: Performed in South Africa by Leonard Rayne and his company, inter alia in the Good Hope Theatre, Cape Town, at the start of the year.

1903: Performed in South Africa by Leonard Rayne and his company as part of a season of plays, inter alia playing in the Opera House, Cape Town in the second half of the year.

1905: Performed in South Africa by Leonard Rayne and his company as part of a season of plays, inter alia playing in the Opera House, Cape Town.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Message_from_Mars_(play)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Ganthony

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 408, 417, 422

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