Guy Mannering, or The Gipsey's Prophecy

Guy Mannering, or The Gipsey's Prophecy is a musical play in three acts by Daniel Terry (1780?-1829)[1], with music by Henry Bishop (1786–1855)[2].

Sometimes simply referred to as Guy Mannering, or The Gipsy's Prophecy or simply Guy Mannering.

The original text

Based on Sir Walter Scott's novel Guy Mannering, or The Astrologer (1815), which was dramatised by Scott's associate Daniel Terry and first performed in London on 12 March 1816 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, as Guy Mannering, or The Gipsey's Prophecy, with a musical score by Henry Bishop.

Originally published as Guy Mannering, or The Gipsey's Prophecy by John Miller, London, in 1816, the play eventually developed two versions of the title in subsequent editions and performances: either being titled as Guy Mannering, or The Gipsey's Prophecy (Wells and Lilly, Boston, 1823; W. Taylor, New York, 1849; Samuel French, Frenchs's Standard Drama LXXVI, New York 1860 - with a useful short editorial introduction by "H.L.") or appearing as Guy Mannering, or The Gipsy's Prophecy (e.g. by Joseph Robinson, Baltimore, USA, 1839; London : J. Dicks, London, 1864[?]).

Performance history in South Africa

1836: Performed as Guy Mannering in Cape Town by the Garrison Players on 31 August, with The Review (Colman Jr) as afterpiece.

1861: Performed as Guy Mannering, or The Gipsy's Prophecy in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, by Sefton Parry and his company on 7 October, with A Wilful Murder ().

1867: Performed as Guy Mannering in the Theatre Royal, Harrington Street, Cape Town, by the Le Roy and Duret company on 14 and 17 October, with a dance performed by Miss Clara and Young England (Morton).

1878: Performed as Guy Mannering in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, by "all the available Professional and Amateur Talent of Cape Town, both Musical and Dramatic" under the direction of Tom Paulton, on 20 October, 23 October and 4 December. The amateurs were drawn from Cape Town's Amateur Dramatic Recital Society and the production on 4 December was done as a benefit for the musician G. Daws.

1884-5: Performed as Guy Mannering by the Henry Harper Company in the new Theatre Royal, Cape Town, as part of Henry Harper's first season as lessee and manager of the venue.

1891-2: Performed as Guy Mannering by the Geneviève Ward Company during a nine months' tour of South Africa, under the auspices of Luscombe Searelle, featuring Geneviève Ward and W.H. Vernon in the leading roles. In Cape Town they performed in the Exhibition Theatre, with Miss Ward playing "Meg Merrilies" and Mr Vernon as "Dandie Dinmont".

Sources

https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009721724

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

Facsimile version of the original 1816 published playtext: Google E-book[3]

Facsimile version of the 1860 published playtext, with an editorial introduction: The Internet Archive[4]

F.C.L. Bosman, 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [5]: pp. 196,

D.C. Boonzaier. 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 99, 106, 134, 201, 230, 237, 373, 376, 380, 392-3

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays

Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays

Return to PLAYS III: Collections

Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances

Return to South African Festivals and Competitions

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page