Checkmate

Checkmate is a farcical comedy in two act by Andrew Halliday (1830-1877)[1]

Not to be confused with the 2015 film Checkmate[2] by Timothy Woodward Jr.

The original text

The plot is similar to that of the French play The Game of Love and Chance by Marivaux (1688–1763)[3], first performed in 1730. Halliday's 1869 play tells of Sir Everton and his cousin Charlotte who are arranged to be married, but not having seen each other since childhood they each switch places with a servant in order that they may secretly see their affianced before they meet.

First performed the Royalty Theatre in London on July 15, 1869, and at Daly's Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York on 1 December, 1869, it was to be one of Halliday's more successful plays.

The text was published by T.H. Lacy in 1870 as Issue 1265 of Lacy's acting edition. Later also under the Samuel French imprint as Issue 1265 of French's acting edition.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1876: Performed on 19 and 22 August in the Athenaeum Hall, Cape Town, by the Disney Roebuck company, under the temporary management of C. Wiltstone. Also played was The Dream at Sea (Buckstone).

1876: Performed on 23 August in the Athenaeum Hall, Cape Town, by the Disney Roebuck company, under the temporary management of C. Wiltstone. Also played was The Bottle, or The Drunkard's Doom (Taylor).

1876: Performed on 2 November in the Athenaeum Hall, Cape Town, by the Disney Roebuck company, under the temporary management of C. Wiltstone. Also played was The Cross of Gold ().