Difference between revisions of "Lovers' Vows"

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by Elizabeth Inchbald. A very successful play in its time, it is  arguably best known now for having been featured in Jane Austen's novel ''Mansfield Park'' (1814). It was one of at least four adaptations of August von Kotzebue's ''[[Das Kind der Liebe]]'', all of which were published between 1798 and 1800. Inchbald's version seems to have been the only one performed and opened at Covent Garden on Thursday, 11 October 1798.  
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''[[Lovers' Vows]]'' is a play by Elizabeth Inchbald (1753–1821)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Inchbald].
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== The original text ==
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The play is infact not original, but an English translation and adaptation of the German play ''[[Das Kind der Liebe]]'' ("The love-child") by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue (1761-1819)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_von_Kotzebue].
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In 1798, Elizabeth Inchbald adapted Kotzebue’s play for the Theatre-Royal at Covent Garden, apparently from what she styled "a literal translation".  The play opened at Covent Garden on Thursday, 11 October 1798 and ran for forty-two nights. A very successful play in its time, it is  arguably best known today for having been featured in Jane Austen's novel ''Mansfield Park'' (1814).
 +
 
 +
It was in fact one of at least four [[English]] adaptations of August von Kotzebue's play, all of which were published between 1798 and 1800: ''[[Lovers' Vows]]'' by Elizabeth Inchbald (1798); ''[[The Natural Son]]'' by Anne Plumptre (1798); ''[[Lovers’ Vows; or, The Natural Son]]'' by Benjamin Thompson (1800); ''[[Lovers’ Vows, or The Child of Love]]'' by Stephen Porter (1798). Elizabeth Inchbald's version appears to have been the first performed (Covent Garden, 1798) and the only English version performed in London at the time, though the other texts were also used later (e.g. Ms Plumptre's play was apparently done in New York under the title ''[[Lovers' Vows]]'' on November 22,1799).
 +
 
 +
The Inchbald version caused some controversy in 1798 because of her apparent "censorship" of the original German version, an issue reflected in the critical role the play has in the Austen novel. It is a matter still being debated today. (See for example recent articles by Bode, 2005, and Ford, 2006.)
 +
 
 +
'''See also the entry on ''[[Das Kind der Liebe]]'' and the Dutch version ''[[De Onechte Zoon]]'''''
  
 
== Performances in South Africa ==
 
== Performances in South Africa ==
  
1811: Presented in Cape Town on 27 July by the [[Garrison Players]] in the [[African Theatre]], with ''[[Raising the Wind]]'' (Kenney) as afterpiece.
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1811: Presented in Cape Town on 27 July by the [[Garrison Players]] in the [[African Theatre]], with ''[[Raising the Wind]]'' (Kenney) as afterpiece. [[Lt Col Dennis]] and [[Lt Prescott]] signed themselves as "[[Director|Directors]]" for the evening.
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1812: A performance planned in the [[African Theatre]], Cape Town by the [[Garrison Players]] on 17 August, but is postponed to some unknown date. 
  
1812: Planned for performance in the [[African Theatre]], Cape Town by the [[Garrison Players]] on 17 August, but is postponed to some unknown date.
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1818: Presented in Cape Town on 31 January by the [[Gentlemen Amateurs]] in the [[African Theatre]], with [[Mr Cooke]], [[Miss Williams]] and [[Mrs Cooke]] in the leading roles. The afterpiece was ''[[No Song, No Supper]]'' (Prince Hoare), again starring [[Mrs Cooke]].
  
 
1824: Presented in Cape Town on 12 June by the [[English Theatricals]] in the [[African Theatre]], with ''[[The Irish Widow]]'' (Garrick) as afterpiece.
 
1824: Presented in Cape Town on 12 June by the [[English Theatricals]] in the [[African Theatre]], with ''[[The Irish Widow]]'' (Garrick) as afterpiece.
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1826: Presented in Cape Town on 6 May by the [[English Theatricals]] in the [[African Theatre]], with ''[[The Jew and the Doctor]]'' (Dibdin) as afterpiece.
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
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 +
Facsimile text of ''Lovers' Vows'' (Neal & Mackenzie, 1829 edition)[https://books.google.co.za/books?id=zvk9AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Synopsis+of+Das+Kind+der+Liebe&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PHCzVM_bHIu0UZGfgbgM&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false]
  
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovers'_Vows
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovers'_Vows
Line 15: Line 33:
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Inchbald
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Inchbald
  
[[F.C.L. Bosman|Bosman]], 1928: pp 198-199,
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_von_Kotzebue
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Theatrical Register in ''The Monthly Magazine, and American Review'', Volume 2 (1800): p. 143[https://books.google.co.za/books?id=1lxFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA143&dq=Synopsis+of+Das+Kind+der+Liebe&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PHCzVM_bHIu0UZGfgbgM&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Synopsis%20of%20Das%20Kind%20der%20Liebe&f=false]
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Christoph Bode  2005. "Unfit for an English Stage? Inchbald’s ''Lovers' Vows'' and Kotzebue’s ''[[Das Kind der Liebe]]''."  ''European Romantic Review'' 16: 297-309.
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Susan Allen Ford "'It is about ''Lovers’ Vows''': Kotzebue, Inchbald, and the Players of ''Mansfield Park''". ''Persuasions On-line'' (Vol.27, No.1 - Winter 2006)[http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no1/ford.htm]
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[[F.C.L. Bosman]]. 1928. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika'', Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: [[J.H. de Bussy]]. [http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bosm012dram01_01/]: pp. 142, 198-199,
  
Go to [[South African Theatre/Bibliography]]
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Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]
  
 
== Return to ==
 
== Return to ==
  
Return to [[ESAT Plays 2 L|L]] in Plays II Foreign Plays
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Return to [[PLAYS I: Original SA plays]]
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 +
Return to [[PLAYS II: Foreign plays]]
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Return to [[PLAYS III: Collections]]
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 +
Return to [[PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances]]
  
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Plays]]
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Return to [[South_African_Festivals|South African Festivals and Competitions]]
  
 
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
 
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
  
 
Return to [[Main Page]]
 
Return to [[Main Page]]

Latest revision as of 05:23, 18 April 2017

Lovers' Vows is a play by Elizabeth Inchbald (1753–1821)[1].

The original text

The play is infact not original, but an English translation and adaptation of the German play Das Kind der Liebe ("The love-child") by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue (1761-1819)[2].

In 1798, Elizabeth Inchbald adapted Kotzebue’s play for the Theatre-Royal at Covent Garden, apparently from what she styled "a literal translation". The play opened at Covent Garden on Thursday, 11 October 1798 and ran for forty-two nights. A very successful play in its time, it is arguably best known today for having been featured in Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park (1814).

It was in fact one of at least four English adaptations of August von Kotzebue's play, all of which were published between 1798 and 1800: Lovers' Vows by Elizabeth Inchbald (1798); The Natural Son by Anne Plumptre (1798); Lovers’ Vows; or, The Natural Son by Benjamin Thompson (1800); Lovers’ Vows, or The Child of Love by Stephen Porter (1798). Elizabeth Inchbald's version appears to have been the first performed (Covent Garden, 1798) and the only English version performed in London at the time, though the other texts were also used later (e.g. Ms Plumptre's play was apparently done in New York under the title Lovers' Vows on November 22,1799).

The Inchbald version caused some controversy in 1798 because of her apparent "censorship" of the original German version, an issue reflected in the critical role the play has in the Austen novel. It is a matter still being debated today. (See for example recent articles by Bode, 2005, and Ford, 2006.)

See also the entry on Das Kind der Liebe and the Dutch version De Onechte Zoon

Performances in South Africa

1811: Presented in Cape Town on 27 July by the Garrison Players in the African Theatre, with Raising the Wind (Kenney) as afterpiece. Lt Col Dennis and Lt Prescott signed themselves as "Directors" for the evening.

1812: A performance planned in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the Garrison Players on 17 August, but is postponed to some unknown date.

1818: Presented in Cape Town on 31 January by the Gentlemen Amateurs in the African Theatre, with Mr Cooke, Miss Williams and Mrs Cooke in the leading roles. The afterpiece was No Song, No Supper (Prince Hoare), again starring Mrs Cooke.

1824: Presented in Cape Town on 12 June by the English Theatricals in the African Theatre, with The Irish Widow (Garrick) as afterpiece.

1826: Presented in Cape Town on 6 May by the English Theatricals in the African Theatre, with The Jew and the Doctor (Dibdin) as afterpiece.

Sources

Facsimile text of Lovers' Vows (Neal & Mackenzie, 1829 edition)[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovers'_Vows

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

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

Theatrical Register in The Monthly Magazine, and American Review, Volume 2 (1800): p. 143[4]

Christoph Bode 2005. "Unfit for an English Stage? Inchbald’s Lovers' Vows and Kotzebue’s Das Kind der Liebe." European Romantic Review 16: 297-309.

Susan Allen Ford "'It is about Lovers’ Vows': Kotzebue, Inchbald, and the Players of Mansfield Park". Persuasions On-line (Vol.27, No.1 - Winter 2006)[5]

F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [6]: pp. 142, 198-199,

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