Jessy Vere, or The Return of the Wanderer
Jessy Vere, or The Return of the Wanderer is a domestic drama in two acts by C.H. Hazlewood (1823-1875)[1]
Often referred to simply as Jessy Vere ; and also referred to as The Return of the Wanderer ; and (possibly) as The Wanderer's Return.
Bosman (1980) also cites the titles Jessie Vere, The Wanderers' Return [sic] and even Joshua Vere, or The Return of the Wanderer in some instances. (The latter possibly a reference to Jessy's father, "Joshua Vere").
Contents
The original text
First Performed at the Britannia Saloon, February, 1856, where it had a long run.
Published in Thomas Hailes Lacy's series Acting Edition of Plays in 1856.
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
1865: Performed as Jessy Vere, or The Return of the Wanderer in the Theatre Royal on 23 and 26 October by Ray and Cooper, with the help of local "Gentlemen Amateurs". Billed as an "admired pathetic drama", it shared the programme with The Area Belle (Brough and Halliday) as afterpiece.
1875: A performance of a play referred to as Joshua Vere, or The Return of the Wanderer was announced by Disney Roebuck's company in the Bijou Theatre , Cape Town, on 26 June, but was replaced by The Daughter of the Regiment (Fitzball(?)) for some reason.
1875: Performed as Jessy Vere, or The Return of the Wanderer in the Bijou Theatre , Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 25 September, with Belphegor, or The Mountebank (Courtney).
1877: Performed as Jessy Vere, or The Return of the Wanderer in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 26 October, with The Honeymoon (). The evening a farewell benefit for Chas. Wilstone.
1878: Performed as Jessy Vere, or The Return of the Wanderer in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 29 June, with Nemesis, or Not Wisely but Too Well (Farnie).
1878: Performed as Jessy Vere, or The Return of the Wanderer in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 9 July, with Little Don Giovanni, or Leporello and the Stone Statue (Byron).
1884-5: Boonzaier (1923) refers to a play called The Wanderer’s Return that was performed by the Henry Harper Company in the new Theatre Royal, Cape Town, as part of Henry Harper's first season as lessee and manager of the venue. It is probably an inaccurate reference to (or adaptation of) Hazlewood's play.
Sources
Facsimile version of T.H. Lacy's 1856 text, The Victorian Plays Project [2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Henry_Hazlewood
D.C. Boonzaier. 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.191-3, 325-7, 365, 380
Go to ESAT Bibliography
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