The Royal Quixote

The Royal Quixote is a three-act drama "arranged by members of the Dramatic Club" of the North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot.

The original text

The play was based on a short tale by Susanna Moodie (1803-1885)[1], apparently written in 1824 and first published in the Literary Garland of 1838. John Thurston, editor of Mrs Moodie's short stories, calls it a "long and rather tedious story about King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden".

A three-act dramatised version of the tale was apparently undertaken and "arranged" by members of the Dramatic Club of the North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot in Keiskama Hoek in 1862.

August 30, September 11 & 19, 1862: The Officers of the Garrison appeared on the boards of the Keiskama Hoek theatre to perform three pieces, Mrs Moodie's beautiful tale, the three-act drama,The Royal Quixote, an original drama arranged by members of the Dramatic Club of the Regiment. Cast: Captain G. E. Bulger (Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden), Captain C. Hudson (Prince George of Brandenburgh), C. H. Newbatt Esq. (Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburgh), G. P. Townsend Esq. (Prince Bernard of Brandenburgh), J. S. Brougham Esq. (Prince Otho of Mecklenburgh), E. Saunder Esq. (Oxenstiern, Chancellor of Sweden), T. H. Smith Esq. (Theodore Zuski), Private G. Dawe (Eric, Page to Gustavus Adolphus), Lance-Corporal W. Allan (Demetrius, servant to Theodore Zuski), Miss Pauline Davies {Private J. Davies} (Princess Sophia of Mecklenburgh), Miss Frances Hastings {A. H. Handley} Esq. (Princess Maria Eleonora of Brandenburgh), Mademiselle Claudine Saint_Germain {Drummer J. Murray} (Countess Aurora).

This was followed by Thomas J. Williams' one-act farce, The Ugly Customer. Cast: T. J. Tucker Esq,. (Mr Simon Coobiddy, a retired grocer), R. Johnson Esq. (Captain Coriolanos Snapdragon), E. Saunders Esq. (Alfred Weston), A. H. Handley Esq. (Sophia Coobiddy), Private J. Davies (Mary, a servant-maid).

The final play of the evening was John Maddison Morton's one-act farce, Don't Judge by Appearances. Cast: Captain G. E. Bulger (Major Pepper), J. S. Brougham Esq. (Frank Topham), R. Johnson Esq. (John Plump, servant to Major Pepper), A. H. Handley Esq. (Diana Pepper, Major Pepper's niece), Private J. Davies (Angelina Pepper, Major Pepper's niece).

Sources

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

Facsimile version of the first 3 chapters of the original story, as published in The Literary Garland Volume 1, No. 1 pp. 321-330[2]

John Thurston. 1991. "Introduction" to Voyages: Short Narratives of Susanna Moodie. University of Ottawa Press: p.xvii[3]