Rob Roy

Rob Roy can refer to (1) the popular novel by Sir Walter Scott(1771-1832)[1], published in 1817, (2) to his central character, Robert Roy Campbell MacGregor (1671-1734)[2], the brigand turned hero, who became known as "Rob Roy", and to a number of stage and film dramatizations of the novel from 1818 onwards.

Dramatizations of Rob Roy

The work was adapted for the stage almost immediately after publication and numerous times afterwards. The texts are often only marginally based on the novel, and the authors of the adaptations are not always credited (the play in some instances even credited to Scott alone).

The entries below concern stage versions known to have been performed in South Africa.

Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne! by Isaac Pocock

The original text

Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne! is a musical play by Isaac Pocock (1782–1835)[3], with music by John Davy (1763-1824)[4].

The original text

Adapted from the novel Rob Roy (1817) by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)[5], the play was the most successful of many based on the Scott novel.

First performed on March 12, 1818 at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden , and published in London by John Miller in 1818; in New York by D. Longworth, 1818. It was first performed, to great success, in Edinburgh on 15 February 1819, and played successfully through into the following year. It was perhaps also the version of Rob Roy Macgregor performed for the King's visit in 1822.

Performance history in South Africa

A play called Rob Roy MacGregor Campbell, said to be based on Scott's novel, was performed a number of times in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the amateur company English Theatricals in the years 1823-24 (it is later simply referred to a Rob Roy in the sources). It is most likely that this was the widely known and published Pocock musical version, but it may have been the ostensible Henry Murray version, entitled Rob Roy MacGregor, which had been devised in association with Scott and was performed in Edinburgh in 1818.

Sources

Facsimile version of the London published text of Pocock's play (1818), Google eBook[6]

Facsimile version of the New York published text of Pocock's play (1818), Google eBook[7]

Frederick Burwick. Playing to the Crowd: London Popular Theatre, 1780-1830 (Palgrave Macmillan, 08 Nov 2011 )[8]

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Murray,_William_Henry_(DNB00)

F.C.L. Bosman, 1928: pp. 73-77, 142, 198.

Fletcher, 1994 p. 40

Rob Roy MacGregor by William Henry Murray

The original text

Rob Roy MacGregor by William Henry Murray[9]

Rob Roy, The Gregarach by George Soane

The original text

Rob Roy, The Gregarach by George Soane[10]

Performance history of all versions of the tale in South Africa

Below is a list of performances of ALL known versions of Rob Roy in South Africa

1823-24: A play called Rob Roy MacGregor Campbell, or simply referred to a Rob Roy, said to be based on Scott's novel (or credited to Scott himself), was performed a number of times in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the amateur company English Theatricals in these years. It is most likely that this was the widely known and published Pocock musical version of 1818, but it may have been the William Henry Murray version, entitled Rob Roy Macgregor, which had been devised in association with Scott and was performed in Edinburgh in 1818. It was certainly not the Soane version, which was a straight play, for the adverts make reference to a "melodramatic opera", with "original Overture and Music".

1823: Performed as Rob Roy MacGregor Campbell "with the original Overture and Music, new Scenery, Dresses, etc." on 15 November, in the African Theatre, Cape Town, with as afterpiece The Mock Doctor (Fielding).

1823: Performed again by the company English Theatricals as Rob Roy MacGregor Campbell on 20 December, this time with All the World's a Stage (Jackman) as afterpiece.

1824: Performed as Rob Roy MacGregor Campbell, now called a "melodramatic opera", in the African Theatre, Cape Town, by the English Theatricals on 11 August, with The Weather-Cock (Forrest).

1866: Three performances (on 27 and 30 August, 1 September) of Rob Roy by the Le Roy and Duret Company in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, , with Bachelor's Buttons (Stirling) as afterpiece.

1875: Performed in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 2 June, with The Happy Pair (Smith).

Sources

Facsimile version of the London published text of 1818, Google eBook[11]

Facsimile version of the New York published text of 1818, Google eBook[12]

Frederick Burwick. Playing to the Crowd: London Popular Theatre, 1780-1830:pp. 120-124 (Palgrave Macmillan, 08 Nov 2011)[13]

http://hal_macgregor.tripod.com/gregor/tree.html

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

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Murray,_William_Henry_(DNB00)

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

F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [14]: pp. 197-199.

Jill Fletcher. 1994. The Story of Theatre in South Africa: A Guide to its History from 1780-1930. Cape Town: Vlaeberg: p. 40

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