Robben Island Amateurs
The Robben Island Amateurs was probably an ad hoc amateur company made up of inmates and staff members of the asylum on Robben Island in Cape Town in the mid 19th century (especially in the period 1863-1873).
F.C.L. Bosman (1980, p. 282) records some of the performances by this company (or similar companies on the island), among them:
1865: The Robben Island Amateurs performed a benefit for victims of the great storm that had recently raged (i.e in May 1865). The plays put on were The Patent Ramoneur Company (Anon.), Did I Dream It? (Wooler) and Fearful Tragedy in the Seven Dials (Selby).
1867: During March pieces such as Bombastes Furioso (Rhodes) and De Apotheekwinkel in de Vley (Anon.) were presented, the latter possibly an original piece written by an inmate or staff member for the occasion. Also performed were songs (including the traditional Irish/Celtic song, Brian O'Lynn - wrongly given as as a play called Brian O'Lunn by Bosman or his sources)..
Sources
F.C.L. Bosman, 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 268,282-4, 448
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