View source for The Tragedy of Dido, Queen of Carthage

''[[The Tragedy of Dido, Queen of Carthage]]'' is a short play by Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Marlowe], with possible contributions by Thomas Nashe (1567-1601)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nashe].

Often simply referred to as '''''[[Dido, Queen of Carthage]]'''''.

==The original text==

The play was seemingly first performed by the Children of the Chapel sometime between 1587 and 1593. It was first published as ''[[The Tragedy of Dido, Queen of Carthage]]'' in 1594.

==Translations and adaptations==


There are two works that may have been inspired by Marlowe's work: 

The 18th-century English composer Stephen Storace wrote an opera titled ''[[Dido, Queen of Carthage]]'' (1794), but the only surviving text was lost in a fire in 1801. 

A [[burlesque]] version of the story of Dido, called '''''[[Dido, the Celebrated Widow]]''''' (or ''[[The Widow Dido]]'')  and termed a  "New and Original Extravaganza" was written by Francis Cowley Burnand (1836–1917)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._C._Burnand]  and first performed at the Royalty Theatre , London, in 1860 and published in Lacy's acting edition by T.H. Lacy in 1865. To what extent Burnand's version had been inspired by Marlowe's play is uncertain, since Burnand was a renowned classicist and author of classics-based [[burlesque|burlesques]]. '''For details of the performances of this particular work, see ''[[Dido, the Celebrated Widow]]'''''

== Performance history in South Africa ==

1860-1: A short musical work called ''[[Dido, Queen of Carthage]]'' (described as "Grand Musical, Classical and Picturesque Extravaganza in One Act" and attributed to "Burnand"), was performed in Cape Town in the 1860-1861 season. However, this is most probably not based on Marlowe's work, but a version of the [[burlesque]] ''[[Dido, the Celebrated Widow]]'' (Burnand, 1860)

== Sources ==

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dido,_Queen_of_Carthage_(play)

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

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

[[F.C.L. Bosman]]. 1980. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916''. Pretoria: [[J.L. van Schaik]]: pp.155-9

Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

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