Delicate Ground, or Paris in 1793
Delicate Ground, or Paris in 1793 is a comic drama in one act by Charles Dance (1794–1863)[1] and James Robinson Planché (1796–1880)[2].
Also found as Delicate ground or, Paris in 1793 or simply as Delicate Ground!.
Contents
The original text
There is some confusion about the work in the sources, for not only does the work appear under varying titles (Delicate ground or, Paris in 1793, simply Delicate Ground!), or - obviously wrongly - as Delicate Ground, in Paris in 1770), it is also ascribed at times to Charles Dance only, sometimes to James Robinson Planché, and in other instances to both authors. (See for example the sources apparently used by Bosman, 1928, pp. 399, 430.) However, the original 1849 published text gives the author as "Charles Dance" only. In addition the publication dates differ vastly, with the more reliable versions indicating that it was first performed in the Royal Lyceum Theatre, London, Wednesday November 27 1849 and published in London by Thomas Hailes Lacy in 1849. Yet William Taylor & Company are also mentioned, as is an edition dated 1800 by Samuel French, New York (though this is clearly, given the ages of the gentlemen in question, simply a general indication of the century of publication).
The original text
Performance history in South Africa
1850: Performed as Delicate Ground! by the 73rd Regiment (Garrison Players) in the Garrison Theatre on Wednesday 26th September, with The Sentinel (Morton), A Lover by Proxy (Boucicault) and Box and Cox (Morton).
1855: Performed (and announced as Delicate Ground, in Paris in 1770 by a local journal) in the Drawing Room Theatre, Cape Town on Monday 2 July 1855 by Sefton Parry, followed by Monsieur Jacques (Barnett) and Domestic Economy (Lemon).
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dance_(playwright)
Text of play in the Library of Congress Internet Archive[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Planch%C3%A9
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Planch%C3%A9_bibliography
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Delicate-Ground-or-Paris-1793-Charles-Dance/9781161715453
F.C.L. Bosman, 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [4]: pp. 399, 430
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