De Papegaay, Verrader en Ondershouwt; of Het Gemaakte Komplot

De Papegaay, Verrader en Ondershouwt; of Het Gemaakte Komplot (The parrot, the traitor and underestimated, or the contrived plot") is a Dutch comedy by an unknown author.

The original text

Most probably an original Dutch comedy, it was published in Haarlem 1786, and the text has a number of language errors, presumably including the misspelling of the Dutch word "Papegaai".

Translations and adaptations

There is a temptation to relate this text to August von Kotzebue's three act play Der Papegoy (1792). However, Von Kotzebue's earliest work only appeared in 1789, and Der Papagoy was first performed in 1791 and only published (as a "play" not a "comedy") in 1792. It is therefore unlikely that this Dutch work is a translation of Von Kotzebue's play. Whether, on the other hand, the Dutch text may have been a source for the German play is another matter, but since no text can be traced, this must remain speculation for the moment.

Performance history in South Africa

There are no references to a performance of this play in South Africa, though a play called De Papegay or De Papagaay was done a few times. Most probably Von Kotzebue's text.

See Der Papegoy