The Citizen

by Arthur Murphy (1727–1805)[1]. A farce in two acts.

The original text

Originally offered in a three-act version at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden in 1761, it was revised into a shorter, two-act version in 1762 and this version was then printed in 1763, for G. Kearsly, in Philadelphia in America by T. H. Palmer, 1824.

The source for the play was a contemporary French play.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1807: Performed in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the Garrison Players on Saturday 26 September 1807, with Abroad and at Home (Holman), and an epilogue written and spoken by Captain Collins.

1811: Performed in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the Garrison Players on 15 June, 1811, with All the World's a Stage (Jackman).

1811: Performed in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the Garrison Players on 10 July, 1811, with The Heir at Law (Colman Jr).

1812: Performed in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the Garrison Players on 12 October, 1812, with The Birth Day (O'Keeffe) and Silvester Daggerwood (Colman Jr).

1830: Performed in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the English Theatrical Amateur Company on 1 May 1830, with The Weathercock (Forrest), as a Benefit for Mr White, the Professor of Music, an event which also included a musical concert as interlude (which i.a. featured an overture from Lodoiska). The advert in the South African Commercial Advertiser (1 May 1830) mistakenly claims that Murphy's "admired farce...[has].. never ..[been]..performed here".