Don César de Bazan

A French melodrama in five acts by Dumanoir (Philippe-François Pinel) and Adolphe d'Ennery.

The original text

This French play was written in 1844 and produced by Frédérick Lemaître on 30 July 1844 at the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin. The play derived from Victor Hugo’s drama Ruy Blas, which had had its first performance in Paris at the *** in 1838, and featured a secondary character named Don César de Bazan, played by Frédérick Lemaître. The new melodrama was written to provide the actor with a lead role of his own.

Translations and adaptations

An opéra comique in four acts by Jules Massenet , entitled Don César de Bazan , said to be based on Ruy Blas by Victor Hugo, was composed , to a French libretto by Adolphe d'Ennery, Philippe-François Pinel "Dumanoir" and Jules Chantepie, and first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 30 November 1872. (The involvement of Dumanoir and d'Ennery does suggest that the “libretto” may have in fact been their 1844 play.)

The first English translation of the French play was by Gilbert A. A' Beckett and Mark Lemon, and first performed at the Princess's Theatre, London, on October 8th, 1844.

Two other versions were produced in London at about the same time. They are

Caesar de Bazan, or, Love and Honour : a drama, in three acts (or alternatively also called Don Caesar de Bazan, or, Love and Honour : a drama, in three acts ) by Benjamin Webster and Dion Bourcicault. (It is sometimes credited to Dion Boucicault only.)

The third English version of the story was by Charles Mathews, and entitled " Match for a King was done at the Haymarket.

In 1878 the A' Beckett and Mark Lemon version was produced as The Comedy of Don Caesar de Bazan by Edwin Booth, and published by Winter under this title.

Performance history in South Africa

1852: Performed on Tuesday 13 April and again on 21 April by the Amateur Company under the title The Thumping Legacy in the Garrison Theatre, as one of three fundraisers for the survivors of the troop ship Birkenhead. It The Thumping Legacy (Morton). was played as afterpiece.