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''[[Reynard the Fox]]'' is both the name of a '''character''' in, and the English '''title of''',  a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables, which were often adapted and dramatized in a range of guises and under various titles. 



=The fable=

The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre is very popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, and in chapbook form throughout the Early Modern period. 

'''For more on the fables, see the Wikipedia entry on [[Reynard the Fox]] at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynard_the_Fox.'''

=Adaptation for stage and other media=

Numerous stage and film versions have been done of the basic tale of the fox and the wolf, often as children's plays and films. 

==South African versions==

''[[Reinaard die Vos]]'', an [[Afrikaans]] translation and dramatization of the 13th century [[Dutch]] epic poem, [[Van den vos Reynaerde]] was done by [[Herman Pretorius]] in 1977. 

==Performances in South Africa==

Performed by [[Universiteitsteater Stellenbosch]] in September 1977 in the [[H.B. Thom Theatre]], directed by [[Herman Pretorius]], starring [[Dawid Minnaar]], [[Johan Fourie]], [[Rachelle Greeff]], [[Niel le Roux]], [[Elizabeth Archer]] and others.

== Performance history in South Africa ==


1861: A farce billed as '''''[[The Fox and the Wolf]]''''' (by an unnamed author) was performed in the [[Theatre Royal]], Cape Town, by [[Sefton Parry]] and his company, on 12 September, as afterpiece to ''[[Othello]]'' (Shakespeare). The farce was quite probably a burlesque version of ''[[Reynard the Fox]]''. 

1964:  A version of the original tale, adapted by Arthur Fauquez under the title ''[[Reynard the Fox]]'', was performed in South Africa by [[Irene Corey|Irene]] and [[Orlin Corey]] with their [[Everyman Players]] under the auspices of [[Taubie Kushlick]]. Done as a gala performance to raise funds for [[Children's Theatre]].

= Sources =

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

[[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 [[F.C.L. Bosman|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]]: pp.99, 

[[UTS]] theatre pamphlet

Typed copy of the [[Afrikaans]] dramatization, ''[[Reinaard die Vos]]'', found in the [[Stellenbosch Drama Department]] archives in 2022.

Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

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