Who Killed Cock Robin? can refer to an English nursery rhyme or to any of a number of works using that title.

Who Killed Cock Robin? as a title

Who Killed Cock Robin? is the name of an English nursery rhyme, and has often been used as a title and a theme for stories, plays and films.

For the text and more about the nursery rhyme and some of its influence, see "Cock Robin" [1]. and " Who Killed Cock Robin?" [2] in Wikipedia (the latter listing 20th century examples).

Below we list works performed in South Africa.

Who Killed Cock Robin? by Charles Matthews (1865)

The original text

A comedy written by Charles Matthews (1803–1878)[3], it was first performed on 13 November, 1865 in the Haymarket Theatre, London, and published by L.C. Lacy in the same year.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1866: Performed by the Le Roy-Duret Company, aided by "A Host of Amateur Voluntary Aid", in the Harrington Street Theatre, Cape Town, on 25 October, as a benefit for Le Roy, along with a "Musical Melange" by the Darkie Serenaders and "Mr Percy Howard", a dance ("La Cachuca") by Mrs Brazier and Mrs Luin, a farewell address by Mrs Duret and an "Amusing sketch, arranged for the occasion" called Left the Stage, or Thornton Worrying Le Roy (the cast).

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cock_Robin

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Mathews,_Charles_James_(DNB00)

Allardyce Nicoll. 1975. A History of English Drama 1660-1900: Late 19th Century Drama 1850-1900 Cambridge University Press.

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 1932. (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: p.213

Go to ESAT Bibliography