Kleine Komödie

Kleine Komödie ("little comedy") is a comedy in three acts by Siegfried Geyer (1883-1945)[1].

Also found with the title Kleine Komödie in 3 Akten ("little comedy in three acts").

Not to be confused with Die kleine Komödie ("Eine Liebesgeschichte in Briefen"), an epistolary novel by Arthur Schnitzler[2]

The original text

A comedy about a Scandinavian prince who switches roles with his servant through some grotesque twist of fate, leading to a number of comic complications, the play was first performed at the Deutsches Nationaltheater in Vienna in 1927, and the German text was first published by Georg Marton in the same year.

Translations and adaptations

Translated as By Candle Light by Harry Graham (1874-1936)[3] in 1928 and published by Samuel French in 1930. Another translation and adaptation, this one by P.G. Wodehouse (1881-1975)[4] under the title Candle-Light, opened at The Empire Theatre, New York, in 1929, running for 128 performances and much more critical acclaim.

In 1937 it was apparently adapted and performed as a German musical under the title Bei Kerzenlicht ("By candle light") by Karl Farkas and Siegfried Geyer, with music by Robert Katscher.

The play was translated into Afrikaans by André Huguenet with the title Geleende Vere ("borrowed feathers"). First performed in 1944, the text published by DALRO in 1969. However, Huguenet and the DALRO publication wrongly refer to the original text as Die Kleine Komödie instead of Kleine Komödie.

Performance history in South Africa

1944: Performed in Afrikaans as Geleende Vere directed by André Huguenet for his Teatergroep in 1944, with Johann Nel, Antonius Ferreira, Hermien Dommisse (sekundus Isabelle Cordier), Fanie Bekker and Huguenet himself, and newcomer Maxie de Jong. The play toured South Africa for 6 months.

1978: Performed in Afrikaans as Geleende Vere, directed for CAPAB by Fitz Morley, touring the Cape Province. The cast were James Blanckenberg as Rudolf, Neels Coetzee as Prince Torvald, Sandra Ferreira (Lisa), Antoinette Kellermann (Laura), Fitz Morley (Gustav). Decor design by Martin Crous, lighting by Billy de la Querra.

Sources

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Geyer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Graham_(poet)

http://tactnyc.org/tact2/salon_show.php?sid=29&id=330

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._G._Wodehouse

André Huguenet. 1950. Applous! Die Kronieke van 'n Toneelspeler. Kaapstad: HAUM.

Geleende Vere theatre programmes, 1944 and 1978.

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