View source for She Stoops to Conquer

''[[She Stoops to Conquer]]'' (1773) is a comedy in two acts by Anglo-Irish playwright Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Goldsmith]. 


== The original text ==


Initially entitled ''[[Mistakes of a Night]]'', the play was first performed in  London at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden  on 15 March 1773. Published by F. Newbery in 1773 as ''[[She Stoops to Conquer]]'', but with ''[[She Stoops To Conquer, or The Mistakes Of A Night]] A Comedy'' also appearing below the author's name on the title page of the first edition of the text. This latter title is often used as the full title of the play. 

It is considered one of the few fine dramatic works of its period and is still regularly studied, performed and adapted today.

==Translations and adaptations==

A musical version of the play, called ''[[O Marry Me!]]'', was produced Off-Broadway in 1961, the book and lyrics written by Lola Pergament and the music by Robert Kessler. It was also performed in London circa 1963, starring ''inter alia'' [[Richard Loring]].

Adapted as a South African version called '''''[[She Stoops to Conquer - Mistakes of an African Knight]]''''' by [[Nicholas Ellenbogen]], and set in Natal on a cane farm at around 1900.

== Performance history in South Africa ==

1807: First performed in South Africa by the [[Garrison Players]] in the [[African Theatre]] in Cape Town on the 20th of June, followed by what was ostensibly a one-act version of Foote's farce ''[[Taste]]''.  The company included [[Captain Frazer]], [[Mr Morgan]],[[Captain Collins]] and, exceptionally for the time, a [[Mrs Kinniburgh]]. The production was managed by [[Mr Morgan]], who also read a [[prologue]] written for the occasion by [[Captain Frazer]], who in turn sang a song he had written (in character as Lady "Pentweazle" in ''[[Taste]]'' ),  while [[Captain Collins]] read an [[epilogue]] he had written. According to [[F.C.L. Bosman]] (1928: p. 70)[http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bosm012dram01_01/] these pieces are the oldest ''extant'' remnants of local theatrical writing  (though not, he emphasizes, the earliest piece of written text or performance text, since there are records of earlier [[indigenous]] [[performance]]s, prologues and even texts - e.g. [[Mrs Somers]]'s prologue to a performance of Foote's ''[[Taste]]'' in 1800). 

1807: Performed once again by the [[Garrison Players]] in the [[African Theatre]]  in Cape Town on the 29th of August, followed  by ''[[Love à la Mode]]'' (Macklin), as replacement for the originally planned ''[[The Padlock]]'' (Bickerstaffe and Dibdin), since not all the music was readily available. 

1808: Performed by the [[Garrison Players]] in the [[African Theatre]]  in Cape Town on the 8th of October, followed  by ''[[The Apprentice]]'' (Murphy). Enhanced by a [[variety]] programme of song and dance, this was benefit evening for the widows and children of the 83rd Regiment. 

1818: Performed by the [[Gentlemen Amateurs]] under the title ''[[She Stoops to Conquer, or The Mistakes of a Night]]'', in the [[African Theatre]], Cape Town on 16 May,  with the help of [[Mr Cooke]] and his company of ladies. The afterpiece was ''[[The Poor Soldier]]'' by O'Keeffe.

1823: Performed by the [[Amateur Company]] of the Garrison, under the title ''[[She Stoops to Conquer]]'', in the [[African Theatre]], Cape Town on 10 May, with ''[[The Mayor of Garratt]]'' (Foote).

1823: Performed once more by the [[Amateur Company]] of the Garrison, under the title ''[[She Stoops to Conquer]]'', in the [[African Theatre]], Cape Town on 16 July, with ''[[Bombastes Furioso]]'' (Rhodes).

1827: Performed by the [[Amateur Company]] of the Garrison, under the title ''[[She Stoops to Conquer]]'', in the [[African Theatre]], Cape Town on 5 September, with ''[[Bombastes Furioso]]'' (Rhodes). This was a benefit performance for [[Mrs Black]] and [[Mrs Johnson]]. 

1836: Performed by the [[Garrison Players]], under the title ''[[She Stoops to Conquer]]'', in the [[African Theatre]], Cape Town on 3 August, with ''[[The Miller and his Men]]'' (Pocock).

1853: Performed in [[The Lyceum]], the newly constructed Port Elizabeth theatre by the [[Port Elizabeth Dramatic Society]] on 26 September, under the title ''[[She Stoops to Conquer]]'',  with ''[[Did You Ever Send Your Wife to Camberwell?]]'' (Coyne).Starring [[William Henry Pearson]], later the Mayor of Port Elizabeth and a Member of Parliament, as [[Tony Lumpkin]].

1889: Presented on tour by [[Luscombe Searelle]] and his company in a season of plays, featuring with the visiting comedian [[Lionel Brough]].  In Cape Town they appeared in the [[Exhibition Theatre]], opening on 26 August with ''[[The Paper Chase]]'' (Thomas).  According to Boonzaier (1923),  most of the Cape Town season not well attended by the Cape Town public, because of the unsuitable choice of venue. 

1892: Presented on tour by [[Luscombe Searelle]] and his company in a season of plays, featuring the visiting "stars" [[Mrs Brown Potter]] and [[Kyrle Bellew]].  The season, which ran in Cape Town during February, was cut short when the theatre burnt down on Sunday 21st, thus also ending the colonial tour.  

1933: The play was the first production by [[Herbert Dhlomo]]'s [[Bantu Dramatic Society]], playing as opening piece in the [[Bantu Men's Social Centre]] on 28 April, 1933. 

1948: Presented by the [[University of Cape Town]]’s Speech and Drama Department at the [[Little Theatre]] in June, directed by [[Joyce Burch]].

1954: Presented by the [[National Theatre Organisation]], produced by [[Taubie Kushlick]] starring [[Alan Chadwick]], [[Barry Wallman]], [[Pieter Geldenhuys]], [[Frank Wise]], [[Patrick Trevor]], [[Leonard Graham]], [[Joyce Bradley]], [[Pamela Murray]], [[Stephanie Shiller]], [[Pat Simpson]], [[Gordon Fergusson]]. Decor by [[Frank Graves]], costumes by [[Doreen Graves]], lighting by [[Harry Ligoff]].

1966: A [[PACOFS]] production in 1966 was directed by [[John Boulter]], the cast including [[Deon Joubert]] and [[Christine Basson]].

1969: Directed by [[Roy Sargeant]] for [[NAPAC]], opening on 28 April 1969 in [[St John's Theatre]]. Décor by [[Bill Smuts]], costumes by [[Lucille Cross]]. The cast included [[Mervyn Johns]], [[Helen Braithwaite]], [[David McKail]], [[Gillian Lomberg]], [[Don McCorkindale]], [[Christopher Galloway]], [[Judy Murton]] and others.

1985: Performed in adaptation as ''[[She Stoops to Conquer - Mistakes of an African Knight]]'' at the [[National Arts Festival]]. Directed by [[Nicholas Ellenbogen]] with [[Greg Melvill-Smith]], [[Bruce Young]], [[Annie Robinson]], [[Sue Pearson]], [[Stephen Gurney]], [[Brendan Grealy]], [[Nicholas Ellenbogen]], [[Frances Chili]], [[Hamilton Ncayiyana]], [[Ali Mohammed]] and [[Judy Ditchfield]].

== Sources ==
[[ESAT Bibliography I|Inskip]], 1972. p.135.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_Stoops_to_Conquer

[[F.C.L. Bosman]]. 1928. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika'', Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: [[J.H. de Bussy]]. [http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bosm012dram01_01/]: pp. 70-77, 109, 154, 183-4, 192, 196 and 508.   

''[[PACOFS]] Drama 25 Years, 1963-1988''

[[NTO]] theatre programme, 1954.

''[[Teater SA]]'', 1(4), 1969.

[[National Arts Festival]] programme, 1985.

Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

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