Who's Bones?
Who's Bones? is a "comic scene" in the minstrel tradition by an anonymous creator.
Contents
The original text
Probably a scene created featuring the traditional minstrel character "Mr Bones", so named after his practice of "rattling the bones" (i.e. a pair of clappers, named after the original material from which they were made)[1]. He often appeared with other characters such as "Mr. Tambo" was and the "MC". [2]
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
1868: Performed by the Phoenix Club in the St Aloysius Hall, Cape Town, in October along with a "comic scene" called Who's Bones?. Among the performers mentioned in the farce were Mr Williams, Mr Tinus, Mr Samuels, Mr Redmonds, Mr Edwards and Mr Joseph.
Sources
https://www.britannica.com/art/Mr-Bones
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_670132
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 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.203-205
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