She Stoops to Conquer

She Stoops to Conquer (1773), a comedy by Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774).

First performed in in London at Covent Garden Theatre on 15 March 1773. Still regularly performed today.

Performance history in South Africa

First performed in South Africa at the Garrison Theatre in Cape Town on the 20th of June 1807, along with a performance of the one-act version of the play The Farce of Taste.

Done in 1818 by the Gentlemen Amateurs with the help of Mr Cooke and his company of ladies, in the African Theatre, Cape Town on 16 May (with The Poor Soldier by O'Keeffe) Repeated 27 June 1818 (with as afterpiece now Chrononthothologus by Carey).

In 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.

Done professionally with an all South African company by NTO in 1954.

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

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.

Translations and adaptations

She Stoops to Conquer - Mistakes of an African Knight, adapted and directed by Nicholas Ellenbogen at the National Arts Festival, 1985. Set in Natal on a cane farm at around 1900. The cast included Greg Melvill-Smith, Bruce Young, Annie Robinson, Sue Pearson, Stephen Gurney, Brendon Grealy, Nicholas Ellenbogen, Frances Chili, Hamilton Ncayiyana, Ali Mohammed, Judy Ditchfield.

Sources

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

Bosman, 1928: pp.154

PACOFS Drama 25 Years, 1963-1988

Teater SA, 1(4), 1969.

National Arts Festival programme, 1985.

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