Le Rival de Lui-même can refer to any of two works:

Le Rival de Lui-même by Denis Carolet (1732)

, opéra comique 1 Akt (1732 Paris

=Le Rival de Lui-même by Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée (1746).

is a French comedy in one act and verse

The original text

Published Chez Prault fils in 1746

Le Rival de Lui-même (Denis Carolet), opéra comique 1 Akt (1732 Paris, Foire .

Translations and adaptations

Denis Carolet's parody version of Le Rival de Lui-même appears to have been the text translated/adapted into Dutch as De Medeminnaar van Zichzelven (lit. "the co-lover of himself", i.e. "his own rival") by Marten Westerman (1775-1852)[1]. Described as a vaudeville or "blyspel met zang in één bedryf" (a "comedy in one act with singing"), the text was published in Rotterdam by J. Hofhout en Zoon, 1800 and by J.C. van Kesteren in 1820. No author given in the latter case, though the Google E-book version lists it as a work by Carolet.

The Dutch play was apparently was first performed in Dutch in The Hague in 1805 and later Westerman's Dutch version was twice performed at the Koninklijke Nederduitsche Schouwburg (Royal Dutch Theatre), The Hague (in 1820 and 1828).

Performance history in South Africa

1868: Performed in Dutch as De Medeminnaar van Zichzelven in Paarl on 26 May by an unnamed company (referred to by Bosman simply as "plaaslike jong liefhebbers" - i.e. "local young amateurs"), without any author or venue being mentioned either.

Sources

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcisse_ou_l%27Amant_de_lui-m%C3%AAme

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau

Facsimile version of the 1800 edition of the Dutch text by Hofhout, Google E-book[2]

Gerd Aage Gillhoff. 2013. The Royal Dutch Theatre at the Hague 1804–1876. Springer:p.203[3]

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: p.444

Go to ESAT Bibliography