English Theatricals

The name used for two distinct amateur theatre companies active in Cape Town during the 19th century.

The English Theatricals 1799-1819

The name

In this period it referred to the Garrison amateur theatre group in Cape Town, which performed in the Garrison Theatre and in the African Theatre. After 1819 the garrison group was called the Amateur Company. (Also known as the Garrison Players or Garrison Amateur Company in some publications and theatre bills).

After the founding of the civilian group in 1823, the Garrison Players did not use the name English Theatricals again, rather being referred to simply as the Amateur Company, the or English Amateurs.

The English Theatricals 1823-1825

The name and history

In this period the name was used to indicate the civilian amateurs of Cape Town – largely organised from within the civil service – as opposed to the garrison group called the Amateur Company.

The two English companies apparently competed heavily with one another for audiences, also for use of the African Theatre.

After a few active years, the civilian company dwindled in 1825, though a group called the English Comedy put on shows in 1826 (see that entry). The same group possibly re-emerged as the later English Theatrical Amateur Company in 1828, and - at least according to Du Toit (1988), was again revived briefly between 1834 and 1838 as the Private Theatre Company.

For the productions by the later groups see the entries on the English Comedy, the English Theatrical Amateur Company and the Private Theatre Company.

Some productions

The first production by the new English Theatricals, independently of the garrison amateurs, was in the African Theatre during Race Week 1823, with Colman’s Ways and Means and O’Keefe’s Modern Antiques.

Other productions include:

The 1823 season

14 and 21 June 1823: The Midnight Hour (Mrs Inchbald) and The Wedding Day (Fielding or Mrs Inchbald) - with The King and the Miller of Mansfield (Dodsley) added on the second date.

26 July 1823: The Honey Moon (Tobin) and Blue Devils (George Colman)(given as The Blue Devils by Bosman 1928.

9 August 1823: The Honey Moon (Tobin) and Modern Antiques (Colman Jr).

20 September 1823: Douglas (Home) and The Sleeping Draught (Penley).

15 November 1823: Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne (most probably Pocock's text, based on Scott) and (possibly) The Mock Doctor (Fielding).

6 December 1823: The Wonder, or A Woman Keeps a Secret (Mrs Centlivre) and Three Weeks after Marriage (Murphy)

20 December 1823: Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne and All the World's a Stage (Jackman).

28 January, 1824: The Wonder, or A Woman Keeps a Secret (Mrs Centlivre) and Three Weeks after Marriage (Murphy).

The 1824 season

10 April 1824: Tekeli, or The Siege of Montgatz (Hook) and Love à-la-Mode (Macklin)

22 May 1824: The Mountaneers (Colman) and The Irish Widow (Garrick)

12 June 1824: Lovers' Vows (Kotzebue/Inchbald) and The Irish Widow (Garrick), a benefit performance for Mrs Crole and her two infant orphans.

17 June 1824: Ivanhoe, or The Jewess of York (after Scott) and Who's the Dupe (Cowley)

11 August, 1824: Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne and The Weather-Cock (Forrest).

11 September 1824: Inkle and Yarico (Colman jr) and The Spoiled Child (Bickerstaffe) A benefit for Mrs Black.

16 October 1824: The Poor Soldier (O'Keeffe) and A Bold Stroke for a Wife (Mrs Centlivre).

27 November 1824: The Castle Spectre (Lewis) and The Poor Soldier (O'Keeffe).

The 1825 season

There were markedly fewer productions in 1825

11 June 1825: The Stranger (Kotzebue) and 20 percent, or My Father.

16 July 1825: Douglas (Home) and The Weathercock (Forrest)

[TH, JH]

Sources

Bosman,1928: pp 196-200;

Fletcher, 1994

Du Toit, 1988

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