Het Misverstand, of Elk is Een Dief in Zijne Nering
Het Misverstand, of Elk is Een Dief in Zijne Nering ("The Misunderstanding, or Everyone's calling is to be a thief") is a Dutch musical comedy by an anonymous author who signed the Foreword as "K", from the Dutch town Ouderkerk aan de Ijssel.
Referred to the second edition as "Door de schrijver van Willem van Focquenbroch ("by the author of Willem van Focquenbroch"), which is also only signed by "K" however.
The original text
Published published in Leiden, by Leendert Herdingh, 1811. A second printing, also by Leendert Herdingh en Zoon, 1834.
Bosman (1928) throughout insists that the play performed in Cape Town under this name (idiosyncratically spelled Het Misverstand, of Elk is Een Dief in Zyn Neering or Het Misverstand, of Elk is Een Dief in Zyne Nering) is a Dutch translation from (an unknown) other language by van der Vyver. Probably a mistake, since the other sources all contradict this.
It is far more probable that the "K" stands for "Kup" (i.e. the Dutch witer H. van Overvest Kup) and that the play in question is a translation from a French original, since Kup is known to have done other such adaptations in the early 1800s (e.g. De Sint Nicolaas Avond, of Het Bezoek door den Schoorsteen, De Onechte Zoon, Het Dubbele Huwelijk).
Performances in South Africa
1818: Performed in Cape Town on 23 May 1818 as Het Misverstand, of Elk is Een Dief in Zyn Neering by Tot Nut en Vermaak, with De Broeders Op Den Toets (Volméranges)
1825: Performed in Cape Town on 9 July, 1825 by Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense, as Het Misverstand, of Elk is Een Dief in Zyne Nering with Luim en Goedhartigheid (Bindseil).
1843: Performed in Cape Town on 13 September 1843 as Het Misverstand, of Elk is Een Dief in Zyne Nering by Tot Nut en Vermaak, with Volsan, of De Menschenhater Door Tegenspoed (Villenhoven).
1846: Performed by Het Privaat Hollandsch Tooneellievend Gezelschap) as Het Misverstand, of Elk is Een Dief in Zyne Nering in Cape Town in the Bree Street Theatre (cnr of Dorp Street), on 3 April, as an afterpiece to Roland de Monglave, of De Zegepraal der Onschuld (Tréogate).
1867: Performed by Door Yver Bloeit de Kunst as Het Misverstand in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, on 6 September, as an afterpiece to Natuur en Pligt, of De Zoon Rechter over Zijnen Vader (Pelletier-Volméranges).
Sources
Advert by Antiquariaat A.G. van der Steur for a copy of the book on the Dutch website Lokale Geschiedenis[1]
Facsimile text of the first edition of the Dutch original, Google Books[2]
Facsimile text of the second printing of the Dutch original, Google Books[3]
F.C.L. Bosman, 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [4]: pp.132, 284, 443, 450.
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