Le Juif Polonais

Le Juif Polonais ("The Polish Jew") is a play in three acts by Erckmann-Chatrian (Émile Erckmann, 1822–1899 and Alexandre Chatrian, 1826–1890)[1]

The original text

First performed in French at the théâtre de Cluny in Paris in 1869, with a score by Etienne Singla. in 1867

Translations and adaptations

The play saw a large number of translations, adaptations, travesties and imitations over the years under various titles - the first apparently an early translation by Frank C. Burnand.

However, the best known English version has perhaps been the English translation by Leopold Davis Lewis (1828-1890) called The Bells. First performed at the Lyceum Theatre, London, on November 25, 1871, starring Sir Henry Irving as "Mathias", it would long be an Irving standard play, and was almost immediately followed by more versions.

Other English titles found are Paul Zegers, or The Dream of Retribution (Anon., 1871), The Polish Jew, or The Sledge Bells (J. Redding Ware, 1872), The Polish Jew (S. Emery, 1872), and so on. (For more on this, see the Henry Irving and The Bells: Irving's Personal Script of the Play by Leopold Lewis, as edited by David Mayer, Manchester University Press, 1980)

The Erckmann-Chatrian play was adapted into an opera of the same name by Camille Erlanger, composed to a libretto by Henri Cain and first performed in Paris at the Opéra Comique on 11 April 1900.

The play was later filmed a number of times, usually as The Bells, including an Australian film in 1911, a Belgian film in 1925 (as Le Juif Polonais, an American film in 1928, a British film in 1931, and another Australian film in 1935 (this time as The Burgomeister).

Performance history in South Africa

The play is notable in South Africa as the play that launched the South African theatrical careers of two notable businessmen, who also happened to be pugelists and performers: Barney Barnato and Harry Stodel.

189*: Performed in Kimberley with Barney Barnato playing "Matthias".

1890: Performed at Rowley's Music Hall, Johannesburg, August 1890, with Harry Stodel as "Matthias".

1945: The Sonderwater Dramatic Society performed Act III of The Bells in English as their entry in the 1945 FATSSA Play Festival, directed by Captain J.M. Eloff.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Juif_Polonais

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erckmann-Chatrian

https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Le+Juif+Polonais

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bells_(play)

David Mayer (Ed.). 1980. Henry Irving and The Bells: Irving's Personal Script of the Play by Leopold , Manchester University Press[2]

Trek, 10(8):23, 1945.

D.C. Boonzaier. 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [3]: pp.

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.

Go to ESAT Bibliography