Caste

Caste is a comedy-drama by the English dramatist T.W. Robertson (1829-1871) [1].

Also found as True Hearts Are More Than Coronets.

The original text

Based on Robertson's own short story, "The Poor Rate Unfolds a Tale" (1866), the play was first performed on 6 April 1867 at the Prince of Wales' Theatre, London. The text published, with Robertson's Society, by D. C. Heath & Co., in 1905.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1874: Performed in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town, on 16 and 17 February by Disney Roebuck and his company, with The Lottery Ticket (Beazley). The cast featured Roebuck himself, and included company members Fanny Enson, E. Palmer, John Brougham, and Bessie Cranston, as well as two local amateurs - one being Seymour Dallas.

1874: Performed in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town, on 16-17 February by Disney Roebuck and his company, with The Lottery Ticket (Beazley).

1874: Performed in the Oddfellows Hall, Cape Town, on 18 February by Disney Roebuck and his company, with The Lottery Ticket (Beazley).

1874: Performed in the Oddfellows Hall, Cape Town, on 21 February by Disney Roebuck and his company, with The Loan of a Lover (Planché).

1874: Performed by Disney Roebuck and company in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town, on 27 February, with as The Morning Call (Dance). The evening a benefit for Roebuck.

1874: Performed under the protection of the Free Masons in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town, on 6 March by Disney Roebuck and his company, presented, with The Area Belle (Brough and Halliday), as a benefit for Roebuck.

1875: Performed in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 19 May by Disney Roebuck and his company, with the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare). A benefit performance for Bessie Cranston.

1875: Performed in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 29 September by Disney Roebuck and his company in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, with The Steeple Chase (Morton), a "Jockey Dance" performed by Maggie Duggan and the burlesque version of La Somnambula (Moncrieff).

1876: Performed in the Athenaeum Hall, Cape Town, on 21 April by Disney Roebuck and his company, with The Steeple Chase (Morton) and a "Jockey Dance" performed by Maggie Duggan.

1876: Performed in the Athenaeum Hall, Cape Town, on 4 October by Disney Roebuck and his company, as a benefit performance for W. Thorne.

1876: Performed in the Athenaeum Hall on 6 October by Disney Roebuck and his company.

1878: Performed in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, on 15 February by Disney Roebuck and his company.

1878: Performed in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, on 25 May by Disney Roebuck and his company, with the "Children's Calico Ball[2]" (from Robinson Crusoe), and a song by Gertrude Wynne.

1894: Performed in Cape Town by a company brought together by the impresario A. Bonamici, featuring the British actress Jennie Lee.

May 9, 1895: This famous burlesque comedy was performed by the Uitenhage Amateur Dramatic Society in the Uitenhage Town Hall starring Mrs J G Fleming as Polly Eccles, Mrs S C Bell as Esther, Mrs R G Lamb as the Marquise de St Maur, Mr W C Thompson as Eccles, Mr H Chase as Captain Hawtree, Mr Desmond as Sam Gerridge, Mr W Catton as Dixon and Fred Jones as George D'Alroy. Produced by W C Thompson. The orchestra was led by Mr Stuart.

May 18, 1895: A repeat of this prouction by the Uitenhage Amateur Dramatic Society was performed at the Port Elizabeth Opera House starring Mrs J G Fleming as Polly Eccles, Mrs S C Bell as Esther, Mrs R G Lamb as the Marquise de St Maur, Mr W C Thompson as Eccles, Mr H Chase as Captain Hawtree, Mr Desmond as Sam Gerridge, Mr W Catton as Dixon and Fred Jones as George D'Alroy. Produced by W C Thompson. The orchestra was led by Signor Tardugno.

1909: Opening 19 July at the Standard Theatre, Johannesburg, starring Katharine Pole as "Polly Eccles". Hugh Gwynne.

1910: Performed on a national tour and in Cape Town by the De Jong-Black Company

1968: Performed under the title True Hearts Are More Than Coronets by the Neill-Firth Company, directed by Angus Neill, with Ivor van Rensburg, Angus Neill, Arthur Hall, Shirley Firth, Elaine Lee, Adrian Egan, Alexander Harding and Lorna Cowell. It opened in the Intimate Theatre, Johannesburg, on 16 October.

Sources

Eastern Province Herald, May 13, 1895.

Eastern Province Herald, May 20, 1895.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_(play)].

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

http://www.kristinholt.com/archives/15728

Rand Daily Mail, 16 July 1909 (Standard Theatre production).

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 307, 311-316, 324, 332, 338, 342-343, 365, 369, 400, 434-280.

Teater SA, 1(2), 1968.

Percy Tucker. 1997. Just the Ticket. My 50 Years in Show Business. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press: 242.

Go to ESAT Bibliography