Urgent Private Affairs

Urgent Private Affairs is a play by Joseph S. Coyne (1803-1868)[1].

Also known as Urgent Private Affairs, or The Loyal Volunteers

The original text

First performed at the Adelphi Theatre, London, 7 January 1856. Published as Volume 24 van Lacy's acting edition by T.H. Lacy, London, in 1856.

Performance history in South Africa

1858: Performed at the Harrington Street Theatre, Cape Town, by the Cape Town Dramatic Club as Urgent Private Affairs, or The Loyal Volunteers on 2 July, with Plot and Passion, or The Female Gambler (Taylor and Lang).

1861: Performed by the Officers of the Regiment (North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot) as Urgent Private Affairs in the Garrison Theatre, Grahamstown on 5, 11 and 19 April, with Don't Judge by Appearances (Morton) andA Night at Notting Hill (Yates and Harrington). Regarding the plays, the North Lincoln Sphinx reports that: "In the bills, some of the performers appeared under fictitious names, which are alluded to by our correspondent in his letter. So, for the enlightenment of our readers, we give the assumed as well as the real name in our copy of the cast of characters." (In curly brackets) The cast of the Coyne play were: C. A. Armstrong Esq. (Mr Dentatus Dotts, dentist and loyal Hammersmith Volunteer), J. D. Power Esq. (Major Polkinghorne, of the same gallant corps), O. H. Strong Esq. (Bagshaw, a solicitor), Colour-Sergeant F. Edwards (Joe Jumballs, a confectioner's shopman), Miss Pauline Davies {Corporal J. Davies} (Mrs Dentatus Dotts), Miss Blanche De Moultrie (Mrs Polkinghorne), Miss Durney {Private J. Durney}, Miss Darney {Private J. Darney (Sally Vokins).

Sources

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

Facsimile version of the Lacy edition of 1856, The Internet Archive[2]

The Adephi Theatre Project, 1856[3]

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

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