The Reprisal, or The Tars of Old England

The Reprisal, or The Tars of Old England is a comedy in two acts by Tobias George Smollett (1721 – 1771)[1].

First performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane on January 22 1757.

Published anonymously

Performance history in South Africa

A play called The Tars of Old England was apparently performed in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the Garrison Players on 16 July, 1808, with The Agreeable Surprise (O'Keeffe).

This was possibly Smollett's play, given the title, though it could also have been a version of Britain's Brave Tars, a special celebratory piece by John O'Keeffe, written for the naval victories of 1797. This is quite likely, given the predilection the Garrison Players had for the work of O'Keeffe and the fact that members of the company most probably had taken part in some of the battles.