Forget-me-Not

Forget-me-Not is a play by Herman Charles Merivale (1839-1906)[] and Florence Crauford Grove (1832-1902)[].

Not to be confused with a number of other plays with similar names, e.g. Forget Me Not[1] by Tom Holloway, Forget-me-not Lane[2] by Peter Nichols and Forget Me Not by the organization African Americans Against Alzheimer’s[3]

The original text

Written in the style of a French drawing-room drama, the play opened at the Lyceum Theatre, London, on 21 August, 1879, produced and performed in by the American born actress Genevieve Ward (1837-1922)[4]. In many ways this particular play would truly launch Ward's illustrious career in Britain. She toured it widely over the years, appearing in several English-speaking countries, including South Africa.

Translations and adaptations

Adapted as a silent film drama by the World Film Company in 1917, directed by Emile Chautard and starring Kitty Gordon. The film has since been lost.

Performance history in South Africa

1891: Ward opened her 1891-2 South African season of 26 plays with this play in the Exhibition Theatre, Cape Town, on 8 December 1891, under the auspices of Luscombe Searelle. The sets for this particular production were painted by Arthur Elliott, the famed photographer.

Sources

https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/38268211?q&versionId=50672615

Martin Banham. 1996. The Cambridge Paperback Guide to Theatre Cambridge University Press: p.402 [5]

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 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.203-205

Jonathan Law. 2013. The Methuen Drama Dictionary of the Theatre. A&C Black: p. 536[6] edited by

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