Maison à Vendre

Maison à Vendre ("House for Sale") is a comic opera ("opéra-comique[1]" or "comédie en un acte et en prose, mêlée de chants") in one act by Alexandre Duval (also known as Alexandre Vincent Pineux-Duval, 1767-1842), with music by Nicolas Dalayrac (1753-1809).

Not to be confused with Villa à Vendre ("Villa for Sale") by Sacha Guitry (1935)

The original text

First produced at the Théâtre de l’Opéra-Comique (in the salle Favart) on 23 October, 1800.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into English as A House to be Sold, and expanded into a musical piece in two acts, by James Cobb (1756-1818), with music by Michael Kelly (1762-1826). This version was first performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1802, published the same year in London by G. & J. Robinson .

A prose version in English, also called A House to be Sold was done by J.Bayliss and published in 1804, but apparently never acted at the time.

Translated into Dutch as Een Huis te Koop ("a house for sale") by "Leonard", for use by the Rederijkers. (Not to be confused with Huis te Koop ("house for sale") by Sacha Guitry (1935)

Performance history in South Africa

1818: Performed in English in the African Theatre, Cape Town on 8 August, by the Gentlemen Amateurs (Garrison Players) with the help of Mr Cooke and his company of ladies. Billed as A House to be Sold, a "musical farce", it served as afterpiece to The Tale of Mystery (Holcroft).

1876: Performed in Dutch as Een Huis te Koop in the Oddfellows Hall, Cape Town on 6 April by the Rederijkerskamer Aurora II, with Geschiedkundig Dramatisch Episode uit Leven van Johan de Witt, Raadpensionaris van Holland, "1672" (Loosjes).