To Paris and Back for Five Pounds

To Paris and Back for Five Pounds is a play by John Maddison Morton (1811-1891)[1].

Also found as To Paris and Back for £5 or To Paris and Back, for Five Pounds

The original text

First performed at the Haymarket Theatre, London on 5 February, 1853 and published by Thomas Hailes Lacy as Volume 9 of Lacy's acting edition. Also in Issue 466 of 19th century British drama, Issue 43 of French's American drama.

While the play is normally attributed to J.M. Morton[2], a recent Google search also brought up a version attributed to "C.A.F. Wood"[3] or, in another entry, to a whole team consisting of C.A.F. Wood, J. George Moore, James Thomas Gooderham Rodwell, John Maddison Morton, Samuel D. Johnson, Thomas Haynes Bayly, AND Thomas Morton[4]), published in French's American drama. The acting edition, no. 76 and The Minor drama. no. 78 by S. French & son, in 1856. It seems quite probable that the whole cast of the first production has been cited as "authors" in this case.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1859: Performed as To Paris and Back for £5 in the Cape Town Theatre, by Charles Fraser and his company on 5 April, with The Golden Farmer (Webster). They were assisted by "few men and the Band of the 59th Regiment.

1859: Performed as To Paris and Back for £5 by the Charles Fraser and his company in the Cape Town Theatre, with Ben Bolt (Johnstone) on 9 May.

1869: Performed as To Paris and Back for £5 by the Lanarkshire Dramatic Club (amateur players from the 99th Regiment) in the Garrison Theatre, Cape Town, on 17 June, with Villikins and his Dinah (Burnand) by Coock and Tanner.