Harper-Leffler Company
There are five references to a company using (variations of) this name.
Contents
The Harper-Leffler-Hayes Company
The Harper-Leffler Opera Company
Henry Harper, miss Annette Hirst and Mrs J.H. Leffler from the Royal Opera House, London performed six concerts of opera selections in the Commercial Exchange and the Mutual Hall, Cape Town from 5 August - 9 September 1868. They also performed in Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth, and were sometimes billed as the Harper-Leffler-Hirst Company.
The Miranda-Harper Company
From December 1868 to January 1869 the Harper-Leffler Company was back for a new season, now with the addition of David Miranda (the husband of Miss Hirst ), hence the company became known as the Miranda-Harper Company. A full season of new concerts were performed during August 1869, making them not the first to perform opera in SA, but the first opera company to do so for an entire season.
Their repertoire for the 1869 season included performances of La Somnambula (Belini), The Bohemian Girl (Balfe), Il Trovatore (Verdi), Maritana (Wallace), Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti)
The Harper-Leffler Repertory Company, Kimberley
According to Du Toit (1988), a Harper-Leffler Company also performed as permanent ‘repertory’ company, and was active in Kimberley during the 1890s.
Sources
Bosman, 1980: 248 – 249; Du Toit, 1988
Return to
Return to South African Theatre Venues, Companies, Societies, etc
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
