't Zal laat Worden

't Zal laat Worden ("It will become late") is a one-act Dutch comedy with songs by J.C. Meijer (Jan Coenraad Meijer, active as playwright 1799-1805)[1].

Also found as Het Zal laat Worden

The original text

Published in Amsterdam by J. Finckensieper, 1801 and H. van Kesteren, 1810.

It was a very popular piece in the Cape region in the first half of the 19th century.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

Throughout his book on the early theatre in the Cape F.C.L. Bosman, (1928) , sometimes wrongly lists the play as Het Zal laat Worden and the author as "J.S. Meyer" (the Afrikaans spelling), though these may have been an errors in his original sources.

1826: Performed by Tot Nut en Vermaak in the De Liefhebbery Toneel Cape Town on 26 August, with De Onechte Zoon (Kotzebue) as afterpiece.

1828: Performed by Tot Nut en Vermaak in the De Liefhebbery Toneel Cape Town on 18 October, with De Speler, of Revenge Praag (Iffland).

1829: Performed by Tot Nut en Vermaak in the De Liefhebbery Toneel Cape Town on 18 July, with De Verzoening (Kotzebue).

1830: Performed by Tot Nut en Vermaak in the De Liefhebbery Toneel Cape Town on 17 July, as afterpiece to Eleonore van Rosalba, of De Puinhoopen van Paluzzi (Pujos and Dabaytua).

1831: Was performed in Dutch as 't Zal Laat Worden (Meyer) on 17 July by Tot Nut en Vermaak, as afterpiece to Eleonore van Rosalba, of De Puinhoopen van Paluzzi (Pujos and Dabaytua). It was done as a last minute replacement for Het Glas Water (Von Guttenberg).

1834: Performed in Stellenbosch on 8 November by "Het Hollandsche Tooneellievend en Vereenigd Muzyk Gezelschap" Door Yver Vruchtbaar in the "Schouwburg" (theatre) in Stellenbosch as afterpiece to De Twee Vrymetselaars (Pelletier Volméranges).

1835: Performed by the children's company Kunst en Smaak in De Liefhebbery Toneel ("The Amateur Theatre"), Cape Town on 1 August, as afterpiece to De Schaking uit het Serail (Bretzner).

1835:Performed by the children's company Kunst en Smaak in the Liefhebbery Toneel ("Amateur Theatre"), Cape Town on 19 September, as afterpiece to De Hoefsmid (Quétant) and De Twee Jagers en het Melkmeisje (Anseaume).

1836: Performed by Door Yver Vruchtbaar, in the "Schouwburg" (theatre) in Stellenbosch on 23 July, as afterpiece to Eleonore van Rosalba, of De Puinhoopen van Paluzzi (Pujos and Dabaytua).

1843: Performed as Het Zal laat Worden by the revitalized Tot Nut en Vermaak in Cape Town on 2 June , with De Trouwring (Lembert).

1844: Performed in Cape Town on 14 June by the joint company "Het Privaat Hollandsch Tooneellievend Gezelschap" playing under the united motto of Tot Nut en Vermaak and Door Yver Vruchtbaar, along with Natuur en pligt, of de zoon rechter over zijnen vader (Pelletier-Volméranges).