Piège pour un homme seul

Piège pour un homme seul is a play in four acts by the French playwright Robert Thomas (1927-1989)[1]

The original text

The play is set in the 1960s and takes place in a chalet in the mountains in Chamonix. A man, distraught at the disappearance of his wife, is faced with another woman who claims to be his wife but he insists she is an imposter.

First performed to acclaim by the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, on 28 January 1960, the text published in French in 1960.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into English and commonly known in English speaking countries as Trap for a Lonely Man or Trap for a Single Man, and was filmed as One of My Wives Is Missing [2] (1976) and Vanishing Act (1986).

Translated into Afrikaans from the original French by Joan Brink titled Lokval vir 'n Man Alleen and also Lokval!.

Another translation into Afrikaans by an unknown author is titled Lokval vir 'n Eensame Man.

The play has been filmed a number of times under various titles, including:

One of My Wives Is Missing (directed by Glenn Jordan, 1976)[3]

Vanishing Act (1986)

Ловушка для одинокого мужчины (directed in Russian by Aleksey Korenev, 1990)[4].

Performance history in South Africa

1963: Lokval Vir 'n Man Alleen was staged by PACT, directed by Victor Melleney, starring Cobus Rossouw, Jan Bruijns, Francois Swart, Jannie Gildenhuys, Kita Redelinghuijs and Leonora Nel. Performed in the Civic Theatre Johannesburg, National Theatre Pretoria and taken on tour in the Transvaal. Decor by Bill Nixon.

1964: Lokval vir 'n Eensame Man was the first Afrikaans production staged by NAPAC, opening in the Lyric Theatre in Durban on 2 March and then touring to other venues around Natal. It was directed by Taubie Kushlick (assisted by Elma Krynauw), featuring Jasper Schutte (Daniel Corban), John van Biljon (Kommissaris), Ron Leschinsky (Priester), Jeanette Hanekom (Florence), Carel Trichardt (Boemelaar), Ena Jansen (Verpleegster), Cilliers Muller (Polisieman) and Lukas Lourens (Polisieman).

1964: Produced by CAPAB in Afrikaans under the title Lokval!, directed by Fred Engelen, with Jannie Gildenhuys (Die Man), Louw Verwey (Die Kommissaris), Ernst Eloff (Die Priester), Tine Balder (Die Vrou), Limpie Basson (Die Boemelaar) and Cynthia Dekker (Die Verpleegster). Decor by Pamela Lewis, lighting by Derek Swanepoel.

1965: Produced by CAPAB in English at the Hofmeyr Theatre with Vaughn Scott, Simon Swindell, Yvonne Bryceland and Paddy Canavan in the cast.

1966: Produced in English by the Johannesburg Reps, starring Jenny Gratus, directed by James Gillhouley.

1975: Presented by PACOFS, directed by Lucille Gillwald, starring De Wet van Rooyen and Marko van der Colff.

1972: In September CAPAB sent Marie van Heerden to stage and direct Lokval vir ‘n Eensame Man with the Kimberley Amateur Drama Society (KADRA) in the Kimberley Theatre. In the cast were Johan Ackerman (Die Man), Bart Viljoen (Die Kommissaris), Theuns Meyer (Die Priester), Marlein du Toit (Die Vrou), Dirk Bester (Die Boemelaar) and Gerda Liebenberg (Die Verpleegster).

1976: In August the Libertas Teaterklub staged Lokval vir ‘n Eensame Man in Stellenbosch, directed by Marie van Heerden, with Henry Mylne (Die Man), Anton van Niekerk (Die Kommissaris), Casper Badenhorst (Die Priester), Elsabé Grobbelaar (Die Vrou), Leon van Heerden (Die Boemelaar) and Patricia Pieterse (Die Verpleegster).