Guerre-Ouverte, ou Ruse contre Ruse

("Open war, or ruse against ruse") A French comedy by Mr Dumaniant (Antoine-Jean Bourlin).

The original text

First performed in Paris, at the Theatre du Palais Royal, 4 October, 1786. Published 1786 in Paris by Cailleau.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into English and adapted under the title The Midnight Hour by Mrs Elizabeth Inchbald in 1787 and first produced at the Theatre Royal in England that year.

Translated into Dutch as by either Ruloffs or Maas as (

According to Worp, 1908, this title was used for a Dutch translation of the French play Les Intrigants, ou Assaut de Fourberies by Dumaniant (A.J. Bourlin), 1787, however, according to both the Biographisch woordenboek der Nederlanden (1869) and F.C.L. Bosman (1928, based on the publicity material issued of Charles Ettienne Boniface for the first South African performance in 1824), it was a translation of this earlier play, produced in 1786, and the same play translated into English as The Midnight Hour by Mrs Inchbald. This latter interpretation is supported by the use of the French subtitle in the Dutch version.

Performance history in South Africa

1823: Inchibald's English version was first produced in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the English Theatricals on 14 June 1823, as a benefit performance for a widow with 5 children, alongside The Wedding Day (possibly by Inchbald).

1823: This production was repeated on 21 June, 1823 with the addition of The King and the Miller of Mansfield (Dodsley)

1824: The Dutch translation entitled Tot Middernacht, of List tegen List (by either Ruloffs or Maas) performed in Cape own by Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense on 23 October, with De Echtgenoot Kluizenaar (Kotzebue). According to the publicity material it is a translation of this earlier play, and not .

1825: Produced in Cape Town in English on 8 October 1825, this time by the Garrison Players, (as companion piece to Exchange no Robbery). The players included Mr H. Hanson, Mr Troward, Sgt Corbishley. Mr Rundle, Howell, Mrs Black, Mrs Gouland, Mr Mills, Mrs O'Brien

1834: Performed in English in the Garrison Theatre by the Garrison Amateurs on Wednesday 19 November, 1834, with as afterpiece The Illustrious Stranger, or Married and Buried (Kenney and Millingen). The production was a benefit for Mrs Black.

Sources

Digital text Guerre-Ouverte, Internet Archive[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Inchbald

Bosman, 1928: pp. 188, 194

Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography

Performance history in South Africa

Sources

J.A. Worp, Geschiedenis van het drama en van het tooneel in Nederland. Deel 2. Wolters, Groningen 1907. Fotomechanische herdruk Fa. Langerveld, Rotterdam (ca. 1972): p.309[2]

A.J. van der Aa, Biographisch woordenboek der Nederlanden. Deel 12. Eerste stuk. J.J. van Brederode, Haarlem 1869: Abraham Maas- p.12[3]

Worldcat entry on Les Intrigants[4]

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumaniant

Digital Text of Les Intrigants, Google Bookshttp://books.google.co.za/books?id=XTM3-7M_TQgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0

F.C.L. Bosman, 1928: pp. 280,

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Performed in South Africa in English and in Dutch versions.

See The Midnight Hour (Inchbald) and Tot Middernacht, of List tegen List (Dumaniant)