Nemesis! Or Not Wisely but Too Well

Nemesis! Or Not Wisely but Too Well is a burlesque by H.B. (Henry Brougham) Farnie (1836-1889)[1]

Also described found as an "opéra bouffe"[2] or "Musical Extravaganza in Five Tableaux" , it is also found as Nemesis, or Not Wisely but Too Well

The original text

Farnie's piece of musical froth was possibly inspired by or written in response to the popular sensation novel Not Wisely, but Too Well by Rhoda Broughton (1840-1920)[] (published in Leipzig by B. Tauchnitz in 1867) , which had apparently originally been dramatized by W. Frith as Not Wisely but Too Well circa 1868, but was never performed.

Farnie's Nemesis! Or Not Wisely but Too Well was first produced in the Royal Strand Theatre, London, on 17 April, 1873.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

Sources

Facsimile version of the opening night programme, 17 April, 1873, The Internet Archive [3]

H. Philip Bolton. 2000. Women Writers Dramatized: A Calendar of Performances from Narrative Works Published in English to 1900, A&C Black: p. 98[4]

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.343, 347-352, 372

Go to ESAT Bibliography