When the Cat's Away, a farce by Johnnie Mortimer (1931-1992)[1] and Brian Cooke (1937-)[2]

Not to be confused with When the Cat's Away, the 1929 Mickey Mouse short cartoon, or the 1996 film Chacun cherche son chat, released in English as When the Cat's Away.

The original text

Based on a British sit-com, this farce is about Mildred and Ethel, who go off on a trip to Paris, and their husbands who are left behind. So, the "mice will play" and, egged on by Ethel's philandering husband Humphrey Pomfrey, George agrees to invite two charming little sex kittens over.

First performed in Bournemouth, England, in 1977.

Translations and adaptations

Adapted into Afrikaans and to a South African setting by Pierre van Pletzen with the title As die Kat Weg Is.... In this version the entire action takes place in the Pieterse family's duplex flat in Malvern, Johannesburg.

Performance history in South Africa

1992: The Afrikaans version, As die Kat Weg Is..., was directed by Ben Kruger for PACT in 1992 in the State Theatre before going to the Roodepoort Civic Theatre. The cast included Antoinette Kellermann, Tobie Cronjé, James Borthwick, Hélène Truter, Dorette Nel and Elzette Maarschalk. Designs by James MacNamara, production management and lighting by Jacques Muller and stage management by Johann van Heerden.

1993: Pierre van Pletzen's adaptation of the English text presented by Pieter Toerien in 1993 at the Alhambra Theatre and the Theatre on the Bay (opening 28 September). Directed by Rex Garner, starring Tobie Cronjé, Annelisa Weiland, Judy Broderick, Martin le Maitre, Dorette Nel, Flakie Lakie.

Sources

https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/4697/when-the-cats-away

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

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

As die Kat Weg Is... the programme, 1992.

Beeld Kalender, 6 February 1992.

Theatre programme, 1993.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

When the Cat's Away by Kevin P. Joyce ()[3]

The original text

Based in part on Plautus's play Mostellaria, the action transposed from Rome to modern day Nantucket, it tells of Henry Gooding, who has been missing for a year, and the strange things that have been going on while he's been away.