Used Up

Used Up, or The Peer and the Ploughboy is a "petite comedy" in two acts by Dion Boucicault (1820-1890).

Often referred to simply as Used Up.

The original text

Originally performed at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket by Charles Mathews, Tuesday, February 6th, 1844.

Published in London in Dicks' Standard Plays, 1844 as a work by Dion Boucicault, but apparently Charles Mathews influenced the play during production, and helped with the translation and the title, and later claimed part authorship. Indeed a later version (London & New York: S. French & Son, n.d.[1] ) states emphatically: "Rather, Adapted by D. Bourcicault [sic] and Charles J. Mathews from L'Homme Blasé of F.A. Duvert and A.T. de Lauzanne de Vauxroussel."

Performance history in South Africa

Sefton Parry's first production at Cape Town, in which he and his wife played the leads, helped by members of the Garrison Players. Performed under the full title of Used Up, or The Peer and the Ploughboy, it was accompanied by a musical interlude and the musical farce Family Jars (Lunn) as afterpiece. This was done on Wednesday 13 June 1855, in a Drawing Room Theatre which he had constructed in the Commercial Rooms in Cape Town.

Repeated for a benefit performance announced for J.R. Taylor, along with Monsieur Jacques (Barnett) and Used Up, or The Peer and the Ploughboy (Boucicault) (Originally announced for Monday 9 July 1855, but postponed to make way for the patriotic Fund production. Possibly done 14 July.)