The Angel of the Attic

The Angel of the Attic is a "serio-comic" drama in one act by Thomas Morton (1764 –1838)[1], though it is possibly a play by, or written and/or produced in association with, his son, J.M. Morton (1811–1891)[2].

The original text

Morton's play was published in 1843 by Thomas Hailes Lacy, and first produced at the Princess's Theatre, May 27, 1843.

However, there is also another play with a similar name, written by William Bayle Bernard (1807-1875), which was apparently produced in London at the same time: Louison, The Angel of the Attic, or, The Recompense (in its turn possibly based on a play by Eugène Scribe (1791–1861)[3]). It is also described as "a seriocomic drama in one act", was published in London by J. Dicks, in the series "Dicks' standard plays" (no. 710) and first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, May 20th, 1843. (See the Catalogue of the National Library of Ireland[4])

Performance history in South Africa

1855: Performed by G.V. Brooke and company in the Garrison Theatre, Cape Town, on Tuesday 9 January, as afterpiece to The Stranger (Kotzebue/Sheridan). Featured were Miss Cathcart, Mr R. Younge and Captain Hall. (Recorded as "by J.M. Morton" by the Monitor newspaper, as cited in F.C.L. Bosman 1928: p. 411)

1878: Performed by Disney Roebuck in the Theatre Royal in Cape Town on the evening of 2 February, with the "Grand Burlesque" of Ali Baba.

1878: Performed by Disney Roebuck in the Theatre Royal in Cape Town on 4 February, with William Tell with a Vengeance, or the Pet, The Parrot and the Pippin (Byron).