Railway Overture
The Railway Overture is a performed minstrel performance from the 18th century.
The original text
Quite probably either a version of a popular American minstrel song from the mid 19th century called The Railroad Overture or The Railroad Overture or Locumloshus Jimjam, and/or something known as Locomotive Lecture.
See the discussion in "Railroad Overture", on the website The JUBA Project[1]
Performance history in South Africa
1860: A Railway Overture was performed by the Corps of S.A. Minstrels in the Cabinet Theatre, Cape Town, along with Two Heads are Better than One (Horne) and
1860: A Railway Overture was performed by the Corps of S.A. Minstrels in the Cabinet Theatre, Cape Town, along with plays put on by the Cape Town Dramatic Club on 9 October: Two Heads are Better than One (Horne), and an interlude of songs such as Lord Lovell etc. by a "lady from London". This performance took place in the Theatre Royal under the patronage of the Governor of the Cape.
Sources
Ludwig Wilhelm Berthold Binge. 1969. Ontwikkeling van die Afrikaanse toneel (1832-1950). Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.
D.C. Boonzaier. 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [2]: pp.
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.
Conradie, Elizabeth. 1934. Hollandse skrywers uit Suid-Afrika. Deel 1 (1652-1875) 'n Kultuur-historische studie. Pretoria, J.H. de Bussy and Cape Town H.A.U.M..[3]
Conradie, Elizabeth, 1949. Hollandse skrywers uit Suid-Afrika. Deel 2 (1875-1905) 'n Kultuur-historische studie. Pretoria, J.H. de Bussy and Cape Town H.A.U.M..[4]
P.J. du Toit. 1988. Amateurtoneel in Suid-Afrika. Pretoria: Academica
Jill Fletcher. 1994. The Story of Theatre in South Africa: A Guide to its History from 1780-1930. Cape Town: Vlaeberg: p.
Sydney Paul Gosher. 1988. A historical and critical survey of the South African one-act play written in English. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Pretoria: University of South Africa.
William Groom. 1899-1900. Drama in Cape Town. Cape Illustrated Magazine, 10(4): 478-481, 517-520, 547-552, 580-584, 640-643, 670-672, 706-708.
Temple Hauptfleisch. 1997. Theatre and Society in South Africa: Reflections in a Fractured Mirror. Pretoria: Van Schaik[5]: pp.
Peter Joyce. 1999. A Concise Dictionary of South African Biography. Cape Town: Francolin Publishers.
J.C. Kannemeyer 1978. Geskiedenis van die Afrikaanse Literatuur I. Pretoria: Academica. (Second edition, 1984[6], pp.
J.C. Kannemeyer. 1984. ‘’Geskiedenis van die Afrikaanse Literatuur’’2[7]: pp.
Ingmar Koch. 1997. Het ochtendgloren boven Kaapstad. Nederlandse rederijkers in Kaapstad, Tydskrif vir Nederlands & Afrikaans. (4de Jaargang, Nommer 2. Desember)[8]
Loren Kruger 1999. The Drama of South Africa: Plays, Pageants and Publics Since 1910 London: Routledge
P.W. Laidler. 1926. The Annals of the Cape Stage. Edinburgh: William Bryce: p.
Anna Minnaar-Vos 1969. Die Spel Gaan Voort: Die Verhaal van Hendrik en Mathilde Hanekom. Kaapstad: Tafelberg, pp. 96-110.
Brian Astbury. 1979. The Space/Die Ruimte/Indawo. Cape Town: Moira and Azriel Fine.
Percy Tucker. 1997. Just the Ticket. My 50 Years in Show Business. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.
Allardyce Nicoll. 1975. A History of English Drama 1660-1900: Late 19th Century Drama 1850-1900 Cambridge University Press[9]
J.A. Worp. 1972. Geschiedenis van het Drama en van het Tooneel in Nederland. Deel 2, Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren (DBNL)[10]
Joris Baers (1888-1975): Algemeene Tooneelbibliotheek Een[11]
http://www.domus.ac.za/afrikaans/images/Programme%20in%20DOMUS(2).pdf
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