John Dobbs

John Dobbs is a farce in one act by John Maddison Morton (1811-1891)[]

Also found as John Dobbs, or a Dab at Anything.

The original text

First performed at the New Strand Theatre, London, on April 23, 1849. Published by Duncombe (LXIV) in 1849 and T.H. Lacy (VII) in 1853.

Performance history in South Africa

1861: Performed on the Eastern Cape border on May 27 and 3 June by the Sergeant's Dramatic Club (North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot), as afterpiece to Langfourd's Macbeth Travestie, the evening beinning with an opening recitation, in character, of Lord Macaulay's Lay of "Virginia," by Sergeant-Major T. H. Smith. The John Dobbs cast consisted of Corporal D. Johnson (Squire Fallowfield), Sergeant T. M'Kay (Major Frankman), Sergeant J. Lydon (Peter Paternoster), Sergeant-Major T. H. Smith (John Dobbs), Private J. F. Gay (John), Corporal J. Davies (Mrs Chesterton), Private J. Durney (Lucy).

Sources

Facsimile edition of the original Lacy text, The Internet Archive[1]

Frederick Wilse Bateson. 1940. The Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature, Volume 1. CUP Archive.[2]

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.

North Lincoln Sphinx Vol 1, No 7. June 13, 1861.

North Lincoln Sphinx Vol 1, No 8. September 30, 1861.

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