Blow for Blow

Blow for Blow is a drama, consisting of a prologue and three acts, by Henry J. Byron (Henry James Byron, 1835-1884)[1].

The original text

First performed in 1868 at the Holborn Theatre, London on 5 September and the Boston (Mass.) Museum on 30 November. Published by Samuel French, London and New York, in 1868 and both Sergel's Acting Drama (the Dramatic Publishing Company, Chicago) and De Witt's Acting Drama (R.M. De Witt, New York), in 1870.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1876: Performed in the Athenaeum Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 15 April, with The Whites & The Browns (Anon).

1876: Performed in the Athenaeum Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 17 April, with The Two Poets (Courtney).

1876: Performed in the Athenaeum Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 2 May ("last time"), with Mr. and Mrs. White (Anon).

December 1876: Blow for Blow was performed in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday, December 6, till December 13, 1876. The Eastern Province Herald reporter, wrote that the play had been staged several times before but did not give dates. However, the newspaper carried this report:

" . . . those who had seen it on former occasion, could not but help feeling how very unfavourably Mr. Yates as John Drummond contrasted with Mr. Sutton Vane, one of whose best impersonations it was.

"Undoubtedly John Drummond is the leading character in the piece, and if that be not well taken - and last night it was not - no amount of good acting on the part of the other players will make the drama a success.

"Good acting, however, there undoubtedly was, for Miss (Hilda) Temple Miss Balfe, and (William) Elton will have rarely seen act better.

"The parts of Mildred Cradock and Alice Petherick, which fell to the former, are just those in which Miss Temple can make the best use of her talents, and Kitty Wobbler Miss Balfe does to the life.

"Charley Spraggs has long been known as one of Elton's best characters, and as the lawyer's clerk with a turn for sporting and an admiration for biceps, the fourth-rate turf man, the parvenu swell, and finally the dilapidated clarionet player, he keeps the house in roars of laughter.

"Mr. Robertson's Lieutenant Linden is better than his second role of Sir Harry Linden, and of the others much need not be said.

"Miss Fanny Lewis acted fairly well as Lady Linden, but Mr Hersee displayed all his usual inability to grasp the real nature of his part.

"His "make-up" as the returned convict in the last scene was excessively ludicrous, and detracted much from an otherwise effective tableau.

"Mr Foulis was Mr Foulis and not Doctor Grace, and we cannot help thinking it fortunate Miss Emily Seyton had so little to do.

"Miss Hilda Temple, who, during the eighteen months she has been amongst us, has won the highest place amongst actresses here, is shortly about to leave Africa."

1877: Performed performed in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 25 October, with No 1 Round the Corner (Anon).