Gustave en Dalécarlie, ou Les Mineurs Suédois

Gustave en Dalécarlie, ou Les Mineurs Suédois ("Gustave in Dalécarlie (Dalarna), or The Swedish Miners") is a French historical play in five acts by Jean Henri Ferdinand Lamartélière[1] (1761 - 1830).

Original French text

Styled an "anecdote historique en cinq actes, en prose", it was first produced in Paris, and published there by Barba in 1803. According to a not to directors in the 1803 edition, the play was apparently not presented in Paris with the subtitle Les Mineurs Suédois.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into Dutch as Gustavus, of De Zweedsche Mijnwerkers ("Gustavus, or the Swedish miners") and subtitled: "Geschiedkundig tooneelspel in 5 bedrijven" (i.e. "an historic play in five acts"), it was published by Hendrik van Kesteren, Amsterdam in 1804.

Performance history in South Africa

1819: A copy of text of the Dutch version requested by the Cape Town amateur company Men Doet Wat Men Kan. No record of an actual production in this year though.

1847: Produced in Dutch as Gustavus, of De Zweedsche Mijnwerkers on 7 September in Cape Town by the joint company Tot Nut en Vermaak en Door Yver Vruchtbaar. (F.C.L. Bosman, 1928, has the spelling of "Mijnwerkers" in Afrikaans format, as "Mynwerkers".) The afterpiece was the comedy De Dubbelde Vader (Hagemann, translated into Dutch by Dinsen Jr.)

1877: Performed in Dutch as Gustavus, of De Zweedsche Mijnwerkers by Aurora II in the Athenaeum Hall, Cape Town, on 15 November.

1880: Performed in Dutch as De Zweedsche Mijnwerkers by De Eendracht at the Odd Fellows’ Hall, Cape Town on 7 October.