Fortune's Frolic

A farce in two acts by John Till Allingham (fl. 1799–1810).

The original text

Originally written as an afterpiece, possibly in one act originally, and first produced as Fortune's Frolic at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden on 25 May 1799, followed by a season at the Drury Lane Theatre, the play enjoyed popularity in England, the USA and the colonies, and the leading character "Robin Roughhead" was played by many celebrated actors.

First published in 1799 by N. Kelly, Dublin and by Thomas Hailes Lacy in London. Interestingly, Lacy's illustrated edition is entitled Fortune's Frolic: a farce, in one act[ http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/23538707?selectedversion=NBD24613040]. However all other editions have it as either "a farce", or later as "a farce in two acts", and they all appear to be the two act version.

The play is usually referred to, and from the first version most often published, simply as Fortune's Frolic. However the fuller title, Fortune's Frolic or, The Ploughman Turned Lord, does appear in various programmes and in later, undated, editions by J. Dicks, and Samuel French for example. The work is apparently also billed as Robin Roughead (after the leading character) in some instances.

The historian F.C.L. Bosman lists the play wrongly as Fortune's Frolic, or The Ploughman Made Lord in his 1928 publication.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1815: Presented in English in the African Theatre, Cape Town on 22 July by a company of amateurs, as an afterpiece to The Mountaneers (Colman). The evening is a benefit for Mrs Delamore.

1818: Presented in English in Cape Town on 30 May by the Gentlemen Amateurs in the African Theatre, with Sighs: Or, the Daughter (Von Kotzebue/Hoare) as afterpiece.

1822: Performed in Cape Town by the Amateur Company (Garrison Players) in the African Theatre on 7 December, with The Soldier's Daughter (Cherry).

1831: Produced as Fortune's Frolic, or The Ploughman Made Lord by All the World's a Stage led by Mr Booth, on Monday 19 September in the Cape Town Theatre, with The Road to Ruin (Holcroft)

1833: Performed in Cape Town by All the World's a Stage in the Cape Town Theatre on 19 January, with Richard the Third (Shakespeare).

1838: According to Laidler, performed in Grahamstown by Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense.