The Merchant of Venice
by William Shakespeare.
Contents
Performance history in South Africa
Ironically yet understandably, given its racial theme, this play has been enormously popular in South Africa.
In the original English
First English performance****.
1847: Performed by the Garrison Players in the Garrison Theatre on Wednesday 8 September 1847, with as an afterpiece My Daughter, Sir!, or A Daughter to Marry (Planché); on Friday 17 September 1847 with as afterpiece Jack Bragg (Hook) and Thurday 9 December 1847 with as afterpiece The Infant of Spain.
1920: A significant production of this Shakespeare play was staged by the Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society as its début opened on 6 August 1920 in the Railway Institute Hall in Cape Town. The cast included most of the top amateur actors then active, and the design by S.J. Wray was the first to introduce the revolutionary ideas of Edward Gordon Craig to South Africa. In all, only eight performances were given in Cape Town and surrounds, but the production was a hit with both public and critics and managed to turn a tidy profit of £100. The first professional performance was apparently ***.
1985: PACOFS 1985, directed by Ken Leach with Richard Haines, Richard Carlsson, Malcolm Terry.
In translation or adapted form
The play has been translated into a number of South African languages over the years.
Dutch
Translated and bowdlerized into Dutch as De Jood en de Christen, of de Gevolge der Lichtzinnigheid (A bowdlerized Dutch version, performed in Cape Town by members of the Dutch amateur company Vlyt en Kunst in the Kaapschen Schouwburg in August 1838, with Jantje Puk, of Den Doctor tegen Wil en Dank (a Dutch translation of Le Médecin Malgré Lui by Molière).
Sources
Bosman, 1928: 339-340,
Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography
Afrikaans
Translated into Afrikaans as Die Koopman van Venesië by D.F Malherbe ( Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel, 1949). First performed by NTO, directed by Fred Engelen and opening at the Little Theatre in Cape Town in 1953, with Pieter Bredenkamp, Louw Verwey, Hermien Dommisse, Paul Malherbe, Fred le Roux and Chris van den Berg. Costume designs by Mavis Taylor (designs also used in later productions in Antwerp.)
This was produced by Volksteater in 1950, directed by ** and featuring **.
Translated into Afrikaans as Die Koopman van Venesië by Anna S. Pohl (DALRO, 1969) This was produced by PACT in 1969, directed by ** and featuring **.
As Die Sakeman van Venesië presented by PACT, 1991, directed by Ilse van Hemert with Gys de Villiers, Kevin Smith,
Sources
Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography
Northern Sotho
Translated as Mogwebi wa Venisi by N.C. Phatudi (Published by Maskew Miller Longman, 1985),
Sources
Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography
Southern Sotho
Translated as Mohwebi wa Venisi by K.E. Ntsane (published by A.P.B. in 1961), into Setswana as Morekisi wa Venisi by M.O.M. Seboni (publised by Lovedale Press, 1961).
Sources
Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography
Sources
Bosman, 1928: pp 396,
The Mime, 1(3), 1928.
Teaterwoordeboek, Vaktaalburo, 1977.
PACOFS Drama 25 Years, 1963-1988.
PACT Info, (2), 1992.
Go to ESAT Bibliography
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