Lady Audley's Secret

Lady Audley's Secret is a play in two acts by C.H. Hazlewood (1823-1875)[1].

The original text

Based on Elizabeth Braddon's (1835-1915)[2] popular novel titled Lady Audley's Secret, which was partly serialised in Robin Goodfellow magazine July–September 1861, then entirely serialised in Sixpenny Magazine January–December 1862 and once again serialised in London Journal March–August 1863. It was published in book form (three volumes) in 1862 by William Tinsley,

The novel has been dramatised and filmed several times, but possibly the first adaptation for the stage was done by C.H. Hazlewood shortly after its appearance and first performed by Framton and Fenton in the Victoria Theatre, London, on 25 May 1863. Hazlewood's text was published in 1863 by Thomas Hailes Lacy's series Acting Edition of Plays (as Supplement No. 3) and later as acting edition no 412 in French's Standard Drama by Samuel French.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1866: Performed on 15 January in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town by the Ray and Cooper Company, with the assistance of "members of the various Dramatic Clubs in Cape Town", as a benefit to Mrs Cooper. Also performed was "the unrivalled burlesque Extravaganza The Very Latest Edition of the Lady of Lyons (Byron)".

1874: Performed on 23 and 26 January in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with The Loan of a Lover (Planché). Roebuck himself played "Robert Audley" to acclaim, and the play would be great financial success for him.

1874: Performed on 27 January in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with The Day After the Wedding, or A Wife's First Lesson (Kemble).

1874: Performed on 29 January in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with The Loan of a Lover (Planché).

1874: Performed on 31 January in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with The Whites and Browns (Anon.).

1874: Performed as a "Command Night" on 6 February in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with The Day After the Wedding, or A Wife's First Lesson (Kemble).

1874: Performed as a "Command Night" on 14 February in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with The Lottery Ticket (Beazley).

1875: Performed by Disney Roebuck and his company in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 6 March, with The Two Gregories, or Where Did the Money Come From? (Dibdin).

1875: Performed by Disney Roebuck and his company in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 14 April, with Poor Pillicoddy (Morton).

1875: Performed by Disney Roebuck and his company in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 26 July, with Brown and the Brahmins (Reece).

1877: Performed in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town by Captain Disney Roebuck's company on 21 November, featuring Miss Hilda Temple.

1877: Performed in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town by Captain Disney Roebuck's company on 24 November, with The Sailor of France, or The Republicans of Brest (Johnstone) and a ballad sung by Miss Wynne.

1877: Performed in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town by Captain Disney Roebuck's company on 29 November, with Aunt Charlotte's Maid (Morton) and a ballad sung by Miss Wynne.

1878: Performed in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town by Captain Disney Roebuck's company on 6 and 12 July, with Little Don Giovanni (Byron). The latter performance as a benefit for H. Cornforth.