Stage Struck

According to Allardyce Nicoll, there have been many plays known by this name:

Of relevance here are two plays by Dimond - Stage Struck, (Dimond, 1835), and Stage Struck, or The Loves of Augustus Portarlington and Celectina Beverley (Cobb/Dimond, 1853), and one by Simon Gray (Stage Struck, 1979)

Two plays called Stage Struck by William Dimond (1835 and 1853)

According to Bernth Lindfors (2011: p.199[1]), the two works should not be confused, they are two different works.

Stage Struck (1835)

This is a farce by William Dimond (1781–1837?)[2], first performed English Opera House on 12 November, 1835, featuring Ira Aldridge as "Jeronimo Othello Thespis" - a role clearly written for him. It was later revived at Madame Vestris's Royal Olympic Theatre, then went on tour - now named Theatre Mad, or The African Roscius. The text was never published.

Stage Struck, or The Loves of Augustus Portarlington and Celectina Beverley (Cobb/Dimond, 1853)

This is farce in one act adapted from Love in the East, or Adventures of Twelve Hours (1788) by James Cobb (1756-1818)[] The Dimond version was first performed Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1853.

, also by William Dimond (a farce in one act adapted from Love in the East, or Adventures of Twelve Hours (1788) by James Cobb (1756-1818)[] The Dimond version was first performed Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1853.

Performance history in South Africa

1875: A play called Stage Struck (ascribed to Dimond) was performed by Disney Roebuck and his company in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, on 7 May, with Frou-Frou, or Fashion and Folly (Webster). Given the fact that only the second text was published, this is most likely to have been the 1853 one act adaptation.

Sources

Bernth Lindfors. 2011. Ira Aldridge: The Vagabond Years, 1833-1852 University of Rochester Press:P. 60[3]

http://victorian.nuigalway.ie/modx/index.php?id=75

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Cobb,+James,+1756-1818

https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100221224

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 1932. (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.203-205

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Stage Struck by Simon Gray (1979)

This is a macabre comedy thriller by British playwright Simon Gray [4] (1936-2008). Casting 3m, 1f.

The original text

First performed in 1979 at the Vaudeville Theatre, London, starring Alan Bates.

Published by Samuel French ISBN: 9780573114144.

Performance history in South Africa

Toerien-Firth Company presented the play directed by Stephen Hollis (who had directed the West End production in 1979) and starring Michael McGovern and Kenneth Baker in July 1980.

Sources

Tucker, 1997. 387.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

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