Bombastes Furioso

by William Barnes Rhodes (1772-1826), sometimes credited as "Thomas Barnes Rhodes". Subtitled "A Burlesque Tragic Opera", it was written in 1810, first authorized printed edition published in 1822. A drama with comic songs, that satirizes the bombastic style of other tragedies that were in fashion at the time, and based in part on the influential Italian epic poem Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto, it was very popular throughout the 19th century

Performance history in South Africa

1818: First performed in South Africa as an afterpiece by the Gentlemen Amateurs, in association with Mr Cooke and his company of performers from the Theatre Royal, Liverpool in the African Theatre in Cape Town, on Saturday, 28th March 1818, four years before its publication.

1832: Performed as Bombastes Furioso, or The King of Utopia (Rhodes) on 9 June by All the World's a Stage in the Cape Town Theatre (i.e. the African Theatre), with The Married Bachelor, or Master and Man (Rhodes) as afterpieces to The Maid and the Magpie, or Who's the Thief!!! (Pocock).

1853: Performed in the Garrison Theatre by the Officers of the Garrison on Wednesday 14 September, with Bombastes Furioso (Kenney) and Did you ever send your wife to Camberwell? (Coyne). Actors included R.A. Pasley, Captain Hall and Captain Fisher.