De Onaangename Huishoudster

De Onaangename Huishoudster ("The unpleasant housekeeper") is a one act comedy by Melt J. Brink (1842-1925).

The original text

Written in Dutch for performance by the Rederijkerskamer Aurora II in 1873.

Translations and adaptations

Rewritten in Cape Dutch under the title Die Kwaaije Huishoudster ("The difficult housekeeper") by Brink and published in this form by De Bussy (Pretoria) and HAUM (Cape Town) in 1905, reprinted 1912, 1918, 1927.

Also spelled Die Kwaaie Huishoudster in some sources.

The text was also used as one of the texts in the compilation-play Ons Hou Konsert II ("We present a concert") by Robert Mohr (1983).

Performances

1873: Performed in the original Dutch as De Onaangename Huishoudster by Aurora II in the Oddfellows Hall, Cape Town, on 10 June, as an afterpiece to De Val van den Hertog van Alba (J. Schuitemaker).

1873: Performed by Aurora II in the Oddfellows Hall, Cape Town, on 6 October, as an afterpiece to Trouw Beloond (Brink) .

1873: Performed by Aurora II in the new packing store of the Paarlse Wijnmaatschappij, Paarl, on 5 November, as an afterpiece to Trouw Beloond (Brink).

1905: The newly published Cape Dutch version, Die Kwaaije Huishoudster, most probably performed in Cape Town.

1983: Die Kwaaije Huishoudster performed as part of Ons Hou Konsert II (Melt Brink/Robert Mohr) by CAPAB in Cape Town.

Sources

Ingmar Koch. 1997. Het ochtendgloren boven Kaapstad. Nederlandse rederijkers in Kaapstad, Tydskrif vir Nederlands & Afrikaans. (4de Jaargang, Nommer 2. Desember) [1]

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 459, 468-9

http://www.litnet.co.za/melt-j-brink-1842-1925/

Ons Hou Konsert II, theatre programme 1983.

P.J. du Toit, 1988. Amateurtoneel in Suid-Afrika. Pretoria: Academica

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