Belphegor

Belphegor the character

According to Wikipedia[1] “Belphegor (or Beelphegor, Hebrew: בַּעַל-פְּעוֹר‎ baʿal-pəʿōr - Lord of the Gap) is a demon, and one of the seven princes of Hell, who helps people make discoveries. He seduces people by suggesting to them ingenious inventions that will make them rich”.

A large number of works have been written using this name in the title, or the character.

Plays featuring Belphegor

There have been numerous plays over the years featuring this character, many using the name as a title. Among them are the following. Those texts that have been performed - or possibly performed - in South Africa are provided with links to the relevant entries.

Belphegor the Mountebank, or Woman's Constancy by C. Webb, Performed in the 1850s.

Belphegor the Mountebank, or Pride of Bath by Benjamin Nottingham Webster (1797-1882)

This was Webster's own English version of Le Paillasse , first performed by Webster in the Adelphi Theatre, London, during January 1851.

Belphegor by L. S. Buckingham

An extravaganza in one act

Belphegor, or The Marriage of the Devil by John Wilson (1627-c1696)

A tragi-comedy, the play was produced in 1690.

Belphegor by Wilton Jones

A musical comedy by Wilton Jones (libretto) and Alfred Christensen (music), opened in South Shields T.R. on October 20. 1889.

Sources

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

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Webster,_Benjamin_Nottingham_(DNB00)

Alfred Harbage, Sylvia S. Wagonheim. 1989. Annals of English Drama, 975-1700. Psychology Press: p. 369[2]

Frederick Wilse Bateson (Ed.). 1940 The Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature, Volumes 1-5 CUP Archive[3]