Un Service à Blanchard

Un Service à Blanchard ("A service to Blanchard") is a vaudeville in 1 one act by Eugène Lemoine-Moreau (1806-1876)[1] and Alfred Delacour (1817-1783)[2]

F.C.L. Bosman (1980, p. 372) wrongly ascribes the work to "F. Vaude".

The original text

First performed in Paris at the , Gymnase, on 6 April 1852.

Translations and adaptations

Adapted from the French vaudeville as To Oblige Benson by Tom Taylor (1817-1880)[3] and termed a comedietta in one act. First performed on 6 March 1854, at the Royal Olympic Theatre, London. The English text published by Samuel French, 1854.

Performance history in South Africa

1859: Performed as To Oblige Benson on 28 July in the Harrington Street Theatre by the Cape Town Dramatic Club, with An Unwarrantable Intrusion (Morton) and My First Fit of the Gout (Morton).

1861: Performed as To Oblige Benson by Sefton Parry and his company on 19 August in the Theatre Royal, with The Lost Ship (Townsend).

1861: Performed as To Oblige Benson by Sefton Parry and his company on 19 September in the Theatre Royal, with Black-Ey'd Susan (Jerrold).

1862: Performed as To Oblige Benson by Sefton Parry and his company on 15 March in the Theatre Royal, with Jack the Giant-Killer, or Harlequin King Arthur and Queen of the Fairy Bees (Byron?).

1873: Performed as To Oblige Benson by the Garrison Amateur Theatricals in the Oddfellows' Hall, Cape Town, on 9 January, with A Phenomenon in a Smock Frock (Brough), as a benefit for the widow of a certain "W. Keet".

1873: Performed as To Oblige Benson by Disney Roebuck's company on board ship in Cape Town shortly after their arrival during November, with The School for Scandal (Sheridan), the performances in aid of the "Cape Town Dispensary".

1873: Performed as To Oblige Benson by Disney Roebuck's company in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town, on 9 December, with Pygmalion and Galatea (Gilbert).

1874: Performed as To Oblige Benson in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town on 9 January by the Disney Roebuck company, with Aladdin, or The Wonderful Scamp (Byron).

1875: Performed as To Oblige Benson in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town on 1 July by the Disney Roebuck company, with Aurora Floyd (Byron).

1878: Performed as To Oblige Benson in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, on 20 September by the Smith and Thatcher Company, announced as the "Last appearance of Miss Ada Ward" and benefit for Mr H. Smith. The play falsely advertiseas a by the company of H. Smith and Richard Thatcher company on 20 September, Also performed The Lady of Lyons (Lytton).

Sources

The Victorian Plays Project, Volume 14[4]

https://www.amazon.fr/Service-Blanchard-vaudeville-Delacour-Gymnase/dp/B001C5KB2Y

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Moreau

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Delacour

Facsimile version of the Samuel French English text, Hathi Trust Digital Library[5]

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 98-9, 111, 145, 267, 306, 310, 311, 325, 372

William Groom. 1899-1900. Drama in Cape Town. Cape Illustrated Magazine, 10(4): 478-481, 517-520, 547-552, 580-584, 640-643, 670-672, 706-708.

Go to ESAT Bibliography