Le Médecin Malgré Lui ("The Doctor in spite of Himself") is a comedy by Molière (1622–1673)[1].

The original French play

Written in 1666 and first performed at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal on 6th August, 1666 by La Troupe du Roi and published as a manuscript in early 1667.

Translations and adaptations

Loosely adapted into English by Henry Fielding as The Mock Doctor, or The Dumb Lady Cur'd. First performed on 23 June 1732 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

In 1858 turned into an opéra comique in three acts, entitled Le Médecin Malgré Lui, by Charles Gounod, to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré after Molière's play.

Translated into German as Der Wunderarzt by Heinrich Zschokke, published in 1805.

Translated into Dutch a number of times, under various titles but the most prominent in South Africa in the 19th century was De Wonderdoktor, a translation from the German version by Zschokke, by J.S. van Estveldt Holtrop and published by H. Gartman, Amsterdam, 1806.

Other Dutch titles include Fielebout, of de Dokter tegen Dank (a work by an anonymous writer, made up of scenes from L'Amour Médecin and Le Médecin Malgré Lui, published in 1780), Jantje Puk, of Den Doctor tegen Wil en Dank (a text only mentioned by Bosman, 1928: p. 340, as a performenace in 1838), and Klaos Pompernikkel, of Den Doktor tegen Wil en Dank (Mastreeg, 1856).

Translated and adapted into Afrikaans as Dokter teen Wil en Dank (or Dokter teen-wil-en-dank) by Uys Krige in 1966, to mark the play's tricentenary. Uys Krige's translation was published by J.L. van Schaik in 1971 and was awarded the Akademieprys ("Academy prize") for translated work in 1972.

Performance history in South Africa

In the original French as Le Médecin Malgré Lui

1804: Performed in the original French by Het Fransche Liefhebbery Geselschap ("The French Amateur Company"), led by Charles Mathurin Villet. Also played was Le(s) trois Africaines (possibly Les Nègres by Louis-Edme Billardon de Sauvigny). The performances took place in the African Theatre on 23 June 1804. (The play's title was apparently spelled as Le Médecin Malgré-lui and cited as "by J.B.P. de Molière" in F.C.L. Bosman's source.)

The Mock Doctor by Henry Fielding (English)

Adapted into English by Henry Fielding (1707-1754)[2] as The Mock Doctor, or The Dumb Lady Cur'd. First produced on 23 June 1732 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Often referred to simply as The Mock Doctor

Performances in South Africa

1809: Performed by the Officers of the Garrison on Saturday 29 April, 1809 in the African Theatre, along with Katharine and Petruchio (Shakespeare). (The titles are given in free Dutch translation as De Bespotlyke Docter and Katharina en Petruchio in the Kaapsche Courant en Afrikaansche Berigter quoted by F.C.L. Bosman (1928: p.78)[3].

1811: Performed as The Mock Doctor, or The Dumb Lady Cur'd in Cape Town on Saturday 17 August by the Garrison Players in the African Theatre, as afterpiece to The Rivals (Sheridan), under the "directorship" of Lt Col Dennis and Lt Prescott.

1815: Performed as The Mock Doctor in Cape Town on Saturday 18 November by the Garrison Players in the African Theatre, with as afterpiece Raising the Wind (Kenney).

1818: Performed as The Mock Doctor in Cape Town on Saturday 25 July by the Garrison Players, with the assistance of Mr Cooke and his professional company, in the African Theatre, as afterpiece to The Wandering Boys (Pixérecourt).

1823: Performed as The Mock Doctor by the English Theatricals company in the African Theatre Cape Town on 15 November 1823, as afterpiece to Rob Roy MacGregor Campbell Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne (Pocock).

De Wonder Docter, of Le Médecin Malgré Lui (Dutch)

This was most probably the translation by Van Estveldt Holtrop. The name of the play is also written in a two other forms in Bosman [4]: pp. 255 and 444), as De Wonder Doctor and as De Wonder Docter, of Le Médecin Malgré Lui. Whether this was the way it appeared in Bosman's sources, and/or if this was sloppiness by Boniface (or the companies performing the work), or by Bosman himself, is uncertain.

Performances in South Africa

1834: Produced by Vlyt en Kunst as De Wonderdoctor in the Liefhebbery Toneel - Amateur Theatre, Cape Town on 24 May, as an afterpiece to Robert Maxwell, of De Offerdood (Kotzebue), with De Gekwetste Reputatie, of Het Komedielootjie (Boniface) as interlude.

1836: Produced as De Wonder Doctor on 4 June in Stellenbosch by Door Yver Vruchtbaar, as afterpiece to De Ring (Schröder).

1843: Produced by Door Yver Vruchtbaar as De Wonder Docter, of Le Médecin Malgré Lui in Cape Town on Tuesday 21 November, as an afterpiece to Robert Maxwell, of De Offerdood (Kotzebue)