My Three Angels
My Three Angels [1] is a comedy by Samuel and Bella Spewack [2].
Contents
The original text
A delightful and entertaining comedy set on an island in French Guiana, it tells how three convicts, brought out to repair a roof, become the good angels of a badly harassed household.
The English play was based on La Cuisine des Anges[3] by Albert Husson, a popular French play which opened at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in Paris in January 1952, directed by Christian Gérard. The text published in 1954.
The English version of the play opened on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre on March 11, 1953, and closed on January 2, 1954 after 344 performances. It was directed by Jose Ferrer, with Scenic Design by Boris Aronson and costumes by Lucinda Ballard.
Translations and adaptations
it was made into a very successful 1955 movie called We're No Angels [4], starring Joan Bennett, Humphrey Bogart, Basil Rathbone, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov.
Translated into Afrikaans as Drie Engeltjies op Duiwelseiland by Mariechen Naudé.
Performance history in South Africa
A very popular play with amateur theatre groups.
1955: Produced by the Johannesburg Reps, directed by Anthony Farmer, and starring John Boulter.
1968/9?: PACOFS did a production of the Naudé translation called Drie Engeltjies op Duiwelseiland, featuring Deon Joubert, Schalk Jacobsz?* and Johan Botha?*.
1969: In June the Libertas Teaterklub presented My Three Angels in Stellenbosch, directed by Jane Turner, with Cynthia Lambrechts (Emilie), Nigel Thompson (Felix), Louise Brower (Madame Parole), Jenny Torr (Marie-Louise), Johann van Heerden (Alfred, 4707), Bryan Andrews (Joseph, 3011), John Davis (Jules, 6917), Fred Stephens (Gaston Lemare) and Tony Gild (Espoir).
1969: Drie Engeltjies op Duiwelseiland performed by PEAAT in the Port Elizabeth Opera House, opening on 19 June. Directed by Eugene Minnie with Anna Meyer, Danie Meyer, Sonja Pienaar, Johan Theart, Pierre Uys, Rufus Geel, Danie Burger, Anita Uys, Dan Erasmus, Heero Hacquebord and Milesia van Rensburg. Costumes by Anna Meyer and Jess Rishworth, decor by Hennie Oosthuizen and lighting by George Molendorff
1973: The Naudé Afrikaans translation was staged in Pretoria, directed by Danie Burger, featuring Enone van den Bergh (Emilie), Jelrich Koeleman (Felix), Linda Botha (Die Meisie), Esther Nasser (Madame Parole), Zaza Vorster (Marie-Louise), Deric Botha (Alfred), Sidney Rogers (Jules), Pieter Brand (Joseph), Lucas Maree (Gaston), David van Rensburg (Paul) and Etienne Ernst (Espoir).
1974: Johan Botha directed the Afrikaans version for SWAPAC, the first play to be produced by that arts council entirely on its own.
1976: The Naudé Afrikaans translation was staged in Pretoria by the SAAF Drama Club , directed by Danie Burger, featuring Lizan de Beer (Emilie), Len Mentz (Felix), Anne Stevenson (Die Meisie), Christine Coetzee (Madame Parole), Veronica Hartzenberg (Marie-Louise), Johan Hartzenberg (Alfred), Ben Ralph (Jules), Ben Bekker (Joseph), Lappies Lombard (Gaston), Tim van Staden (Paul) and Juan van der Berg (Espoir).
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Three_Angels
(Pretoria) theatre programme, 1973.
Petru & Carel Trichardt theatre programme collection.
Theatre programme, Dramaklub van die S.A.L.M., 1968. (Danie Burger collection, held in the PARC research collection, AOI, University of Stellenbosch)
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