Interlude

Interlude is a term that, in theatrical terms, refers to any short item - a short play, dance, musical presentation, acrobatic entertainment, etc. - that is performed between the acts of a theatrical production, or between the various items (plays, dances and musical presentations) that go to make up a longer evening's theatrical event.

The latter practice was especially prominent during the 18th and 19th century theatre, also in colonial in Cape Town. The Dutch term used was Tuschenspel and the Afrikaans term derived from that is Tussenspel.

The concept is closely related to such other terms as the French Intermède or Entr'acte; the German Zwischenspiel or Zwischenaktreferring; the Italian Intermezzo and the Spanish Intermedio, and is often found in musical contexts, where it specifically refers to a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production, or a short play-within-a-play within a larger theatrical work.