Difference between revisions of "The Pageant of Union"

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Extravaganza held on the Cape Foreshore to celebrate the Union of South Africa in 1910. The [[pageant]] was directed by [[Frank Lascelles]], the British master of spectacles, and featured amateur-players from Cape Town as well as from other towns. (The pageant apparently took place in October of that year) It comprised a series of scenes from South African colonial history, culminating in the moment of Union.
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''[[The Pageant of Union]]'' (also known as ''[[The Pageant of South Africa]]'') was a public [[theatrical event]] held in Cape Town in October of 1910 to celebrate the inauguration of the new state.
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It took the form of an [[Extravaganza]],  held on the Cape Foreshore to celebrate the Union of South Africa in 1910. The [[pageant]] was directed by [[Frank Lascelles]], the British master of spectacles, and featured amateur-players from Cape Town as well as from other towns. (The pageant apparently took place in October of that year) It comprised a series of scenes from South African colonial history, culminating in the moment of Union, with scenes of "landfall" and "first encounter" repeated throughout the pageant's progress (sequentially the Portuguese, the [[Dutch]], and the 1820 Settlers from Britain). Scenes of covenant and friendship and their converse, sworn enmity, are intermingled with images of the bringing of Christianity and civilization, to illustrate newness, dawning, light within the darkness. Over this all  the figure of the Queen – Britannia, Elizabeth, Victoria – dominated the passage of her heroes on the stage.
  
 
A souvenir booklet called ''[[Historical Sketch and Description of the Pageant Held at Cape Town on the Occasion of the Opening of the First Parliament of the Union of South Africa]]'' was published in the same year.  
 
A souvenir booklet called ''[[Historical Sketch and Description of the Pageant Held at Cape Town on the Occasion of the Opening of the First Parliament of the Union of South Africa]]'' was published in the same year.  
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== Sources ==
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''Collect Southern Africa'' website [http://www.southafricacollector.com/11_Collect_Southern_Africa/03_1910_Cape_Town_Pageant.htm]
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[[Loren Kruger]]. 2020. ''A Century of South African Theatre''. Methuen Drama. 
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Go to [[South African Theatre/Bibliography]]
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== Return to ==
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Return to [[ESAT Festivals P|P]] in Plays IV Festivals and Pageants
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Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Plays]]
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Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
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Return to [[Main Page]]
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See  the full discussion on the ''Collect Southern Africa'' website (http://www.southafricacollector.com/11_Collect_Southern_Africa/03_1910_Cape_Town_Pageant.htm)
 
See  the full discussion on the ''Collect Southern Africa'' website (http://www.southafricacollector.com/11_Collect_Southern_Africa/03_1910_Cape_Town_Pageant.htm)

Latest revision as of 11:43, 30 January 2020

The Pageant of Union (also known as The Pageant of South Africa) was a public theatrical event held in Cape Town in October of 1910 to celebrate the inauguration of the new state.

It took the form of an Extravaganza, held on the Cape Foreshore to celebrate the Union of South Africa in 1910. The pageant was directed by Frank Lascelles, the British master of spectacles, and featured amateur-players from Cape Town as well as from other towns. (The pageant apparently took place in October of that year) It comprised a series of scenes from South African colonial history, culminating in the moment of Union, with scenes of "landfall" and "first encounter" repeated throughout the pageant's progress (sequentially the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the 1820 Settlers from Britain). Scenes of covenant and friendship and their converse, sworn enmity, are intermingled with images of the bringing of Christianity and civilization, to illustrate newness, dawning, light within the darkness. Over this all the figure of the Queen – Britannia, Elizabeth, Victoria – dominated the passage of her heroes on the stage.

A souvenir booklet called Historical Sketch and Description of the Pageant Held at Cape Town on the Occasion of the Opening of the First Parliament of the Union of South Africa was published in the same year.


Sources

Collect Southern Africa website [1]

Loren Kruger. 2020. A Century of South African Theatre. Methuen Drama.

Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography

Return to

Return to P in Plays IV Festivals and Pageants

Return to South_African_Theatre/Plays

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page


See the full discussion on the Collect Southern Africa website (http://www.southafricacollector.com/11_Collect_Southern_Africa/03_1910_Cape_Town_Pageant.htm)


Return to P

Return to South African Theatre Plays

Return to Main Page