Het Fransche Liefhebbery Geselschap

Het Fransche Liefhebbery Geselschap ("The French Amateur Company") is the Dutch name for a French amateur theatre company founded in Cape Town in 1803 by Charles Mathurin Villet.

History

Villet gathered a group of French and Dutch actors to present selections of both classical and Boulevard fare over the course of the next two years, performing under the French motto "Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense" (though the amateur company apparently never used the motto as name, this came later with C.E. Boniface). When doing French plays, the company was referred to as Het Fransche Liefhebbery Geselschap in Dutch (or in some cases as Een Fransch Gezelschap van Liefhebbers van het Theater) and in English as the French-Dutch Amateurs, the French Amateur Company or The French Company.

The company performed in the African Theatre and supported and run by French and Dutch citizens. In the earlier period (1803-1805) Villet appears to have been the leading figure, while Mr Delémery (possibly a passing professional actor on his way to Mauritius) was a leading figure from 1805 onwards. Later the names of Nelson and Martin are also given as directors.

This particular French company declined after 1806 and had apparently died out by the end of 1809, though French theatre would be briefly revived once more in 1814, under the guidance of C.E. Boniface and his multilingual company Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense.

See also Charles Mathurin Villet.