The Rivals

The Rivals is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816) [1].

The original text

It was the young Sheridan's first play and it premiered at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775, and published in the same year by John Wilkie.

Translated into Dutch as De Medeminnaars by M.P. Lindo and published by Kruseman, Haarlem: 1871.

1807: Performed in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the Garrison Players on 9 July, with The Old Maid (Murphy) and an epilogue written an spoken by Captain Collins. Mrs Kinniburgh was also one of the performers.

1808: Performed by the Garrison Players on 22 September (originally having been planned for 10 September) in the African Theatre, with Miss in her Teens, or, The Medley of Lovers (Garrick), and a variety programme including songs and gymnastic presentations (the latter billed as "by students of Astley"). The evening is a benefit for the widows and orphans of the 89th Regiment. Bosman [2] (1928: p.76) again cites the titles form a Dutch advert, as De Medeminnaars and Het Meisje boven de Tien.

1823: Performed by the Amateur Company of the Garrison, in the African Theatre, Cape Town on 28 June, with Bombastes Furioso (Rhodes)as an afterpiece.

1967: Performed in the H.B. Thom Theatre, produced by Jocelyn de Bruyn and Ben Dehaeck, with the University Theatre of Stellenbosch in April 1967. Tine Balder as Mrs Malaprop, Mees Xteen as Acres, Piers Nicholson as Sir Lucius, Carina Fick as Lydia, John Cartwright as Jack, while Sir Anthony Absolute was played by Jocelyn de Bruyn. The rest of the cast included Leoné Schenk, Bettina Camerer, Crismont Greeff, Johan Esterhuizen and Esther Brandt. Decor and costumes by Elaine Aucamp, choreography by Gisela Taeger, lighting by Pieter de Swardt. Music arranged for the hapsichord and played by Boudewijn Scholten.