The Peep O'Day, or Savourneen Deelish

Peep O'day, or Savourneen Dheelish is an Irish romantic drama in four acts by Edmund Falconer (1814-1879)

Also referred to simply as Peep O' Day, also in South Africa. When performed under various versions other of the full title, the "Dheelish" is often spelled "Deelish", e.g. in the production at the St. John Dramatic Lyceum, London, on 21 June, 1867, where it was billed as Peep O'Day, or Savourneen Deelish! (and Peep O'Day! or Savourneen Deelish)[].

The original text

Said by the author to have been "Derived from tales of the O'Hara Family", i.e. from the stories contained in The Peep O' Day, or John Doe and Crohoore of the Billhook by "The O'Hara Family" (pseudonym of John Banim, 1798-1842, and later edited his brother Michael Banim, 1796-1874).

A musical play with a large cast, it was first performed at the Lyceum Theatre, London on 11 November, 1861, and in played in a new version at the Drury Lane Theatre, London on 28 February, 1870

St. John Dramatic Lyceum, South Side King Square ... Peep O'Day, or, Savourneen deelish! ... Friday evening, June 21, 1867

The original playtext was published by and the "New Drury Lane Version" by Robert M. De Witt, New York (1870?) and The Dramatic Publishing Company, Chicago and New York, in 1888?

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1875: Performed as The Peep o' Day on 20 September in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with The Whites and the Browns (Anon.).

1875: Performed as The Peep O' Day or Savourneen Deelish on 22 September in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with The Whites & the Browns (Anon.).

Sources

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. 327, 360, 376

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