Poor Pillicoddy

Poor Pillicoddy is a one-act farce by J.M. Morton (1811-1891)[1].

The original text

First performed at the Lyceum Theatre, London 0n 12 July, 1848 and in the USA in the National Theatre, Boston in the same year.

Published in London and New York by Samuel French in 1848 and numerous times in the USA, inter alia by Turner & Fisher, 1845 (1848??), O.A. Roorbach, [1854?], Samuel French (1857) and Clinton T. de Witt in 1877(?).

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1858: Performed by a company made up of members of the Cape Town Dramatic Club, in support of the first public stage appearance of the twelve-year old child phenomenon Annie Rowlands as "Sarah Blunt", in the Harrington Street Theatre, Cape Town, on 12 and 21 October. Also performed was Love and Duty (Marston), with Annie Rowlands appearing as "Amy".

1859: Performed once more in the Harrington Street Theatre, Cape Town, on 10 March, again accompanied by as Love and Duty and performed by members of the Cape Town Dramatic Club, with Annie Rowlands once more as "Sarah" and "Amy" respectively.

1862: Performed by the Amateurs of the Band on 17 February in the Garrison Theatre at Keiskamma Hoek, with a cast consisting of W. Dansie (Mr Pillicoddy), W. Allan (Captain O'Skuttle), M. Rafferty (Mrs Pillicoddy), T. Smith (Mrs O'Skuttle), J. Durnsey (Sarah Blunt). Also performed were a scene from Venice Preserved (Otway) and The Omnibus or A Convenient Distance (). (For more on contemporary responses to the performances, see the entry on the North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot)

1867: Performed in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town on 28 May by the Le Roy's Original Company , with Capitola, or The Masked Mother and The Hidden Hand (Hazlewood). The evening was offered as a benefit for Le Roy, and the cast was augmented by Miss J. Caldazo of the Bailey-Poussard Company.

1875: Performed by Disney Roebuck and his company in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 14 April, with Lady Audley's Secret (Hazlewood).

1875: Performed by Disney Roebuck and his company in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 16 April, with Leah (Mosenthal/Daly).

1875: Performed in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company on 20 May with The Lady of Lyons (Lytton)