Das Kind der Liebe

Das Kind der Liebe (literally "The child of love") is a German play in five acts by August von Kotzebue (1761 – 1819)[1].

The original text

Written in 1790 and first performed in the Liebhabertheater in Reval in 1790, possibly under the title: Das Kind der Liebe, oder: Der Strassenräuber aus kindlicher Liebe, cited by Engels (1992). It was first published in Leipzig in 1791 by P.G. Kummer.

The play has become quite famous through an English translation by Elizabeth Inchbald, which features in Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park.

Translations and adaptations

Dutch: Translated into Dutch as De Onechte Zoon ("the illegitimate son") and published in Amsterdam by H. Gartman and co. in 1793.

F.C.L. Bosman (1928) has two versions of the Dutch title: De Onechte Zoon and Aballino, De Onechte Zoon, indexing the play under the latter title only, even though he himself questions its veracity (p. 135). The title seems to be conflation of the Kotzebue translation and a play by Zschokke (Aballino, De Grootte Bandiet). In fact neither the German not the Dutch text (De Onechte Zoon ) have any reference to a character "Aballino". So it appears to have been an error of Bosman's sources, e.g. the company in question, or the journalist writing about it in the Kaapsche Courant of 7 August 1819.

English: At least four English adaptations of the play were published between 1798 and 1800, under various titles: Lovers' Vows by Elizabeth Inchbald (1798); The Natural Son by Anne Plumptre (1798); Lovers’ Vows; or, The Natural Son by Benjamin Thompson (1800); Lovers’ Vows, or The Child of Love by Stephen Porter (1798). Only Elizabeth Inchbald's version appears to have been performed in that time (Covent Garden, 1798).

Performances in South Africa

Dutch productions

1819: Copies of the texts of Aballino, De Onechte Zoon (sic) and Gustavus, of De Zweedsche Mynwerkers (Lamartélière) are requested for loan by Tot Nut en Vermaak, apparently in response to the news that Von Kotzebue had been assassinated. However, it appear no production occurred at the time.

1826: Performed in Dutch as De Onechte Zoon by Tot Nut en Vermaak on 26 August in the African Theatre, Cape Town, with 't Zal laat Worden (J.C. Meijer) as afterpiece. The author of the play is cited in its Afrikaans form, "Meyer", by F.C.L. Bosman (1928, pp.237-8).

1826: Another production of the play was planned for early September, this time with De Gevaarlyke Buurman (Von Kotzebue) as afterpiece, but there is no proof that it took place.

1831: Performed in Dutch as De Onechte Zoon by Tot Nut en Vermaak on 4 August in the African Theatre, Cape Town, with Sint Nicolaas Avond (H. Kup) as afterpiece.

1834: Performed in Dutch as De Onechte Zoon in Stellenbosch in the "Liefhebbery Tooneel - Amateur Theatre") on 31 May, with De Spraaklooze (Von Kotzebue).

English productions

Inchbald's version seems to have been the best known, and as far as can be ascertained the only English version of Von Kotzebue's play performed in South Africa during the 19th century. (See Lovers' Vows for details on these productions)