Cape Town Rifles

The Cape Town Rifles is an infantry regiment of the South African Army, originally founded as the Cape Rifle Corps on 28 November 1855, as the first volunteer unit in the Cape Colony.

Initially called the Cape Rifle Corps, it was also known as the Cape Royal Rifles, and later as the Cape Town Volunteer Rifles. After 1910 it became part od the South African army and thereafter known simply as the Cape Town Rifles (nicknamed Dukes).

The brass orchestra of this company has over the years performed as part of the programme in some theatrical performances in Cape Town from time to time.

The performances

On 30 June 1859 they appeared as the Cape Royal Rifles with the Cape Town Theatrical Club as part of a benefit for Miss Delmaine. The plays performed were The Little Treasure (Harris) and The Lady of Lyons (Byron).

On 5 November, 1860 they appeared in the Cabinet Theatre, Cape Town, as an interlude for the Cape Town Dramatic Club's productions of The Rivals (Sheridan) and Guilty of Not-Guilty (Dibdin).

Sources

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

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

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