Difference between revisions of "Black-Eyed Susan"

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There are three plays popularly known as ''[[Black-Eyed Susan]]'' (or ''[[Black-Ey'd Susan]]'', the famous melodrama by Douglas Jerrold (1829), an adaptation by William V. Spencer (1856) and a [[burlesque]] by F.C. Burnand (1867).  
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There are three related plays popularly known as ''[[Black-Eyed Susan]]'' (or ''[[Black-Ey'd Susan]]'', the famous melodrama by Douglas Jerrold (1829), an adaptation by William V. Spencer (1856) and a [[burlesque]] or Jerrold's work by F.C. Burnand (1867).  
  
  
''[[Black-Eyed Susan, or All in the Downs]]'' is an immensely comedy in three acts by Douglas Jerrold (1803–1857)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_William_Jerrold].
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=''[[Black-Eyed Susan, or All in the Downs]]'' (Jerrold, 1829)=
  
Sometimes simply referred to as ''[[Black-Eyed Susan]]'', ''[[Black Eyed Susan]]'', ''[[Black-Ey'd Susan]]'' and so on.  
+
An immensely popular comedy in three acts, written by Douglas Jerrold (1803–1857)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_William_Jerrold], it is often simply referred to as ''[[Black-Eyed Susan]]'', ''[[Black Eyed Susan]]'', ''[[Black-Ey'd Susan]]'' and so on.  
  
''Not to be confused with '''''[[Black-Eyed Susan, or The Little Bill That Was Taken Up]]''''', Burnand's burlesque based on the Jerrold work.''
 
 
= The original text =
 
 
 
Based on John Gay's well known ballad by that name, it has been described as "a nautical melodrama (with all its stock characters) that praises the patriotic British tar (sailor) while critiquing authoritarianism in the British Navy"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-Eyed_Susan], it was the playwright's Jerrold's first successful play, opening at the Surrey Theatre on 26 January 1829 and setting a new record of over 150 performances. It is a key play in the history of English melodrama, and became a stock play across the Empire, also in South Africa, till well into the 20th century.
 
Based on John Gay's well known ballad by that name, it has been described as "a nautical melodrama (with all its stock characters) that praises the patriotic British tar (sailor) while critiquing authoritarianism in the British Navy"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-Eyed_Susan], it was the playwright's Jerrold's first successful play, opening at the Surrey Theatre on 26 January 1829 and setting a new record of over 150 performances. It is a key play in the history of English melodrama, and became a stock play across the Empire, also in South Africa, till well into the 20th century.
  
=Translations and adaptations=
+
=Adaptation by Spencer (1856)=
 
 
==Adaptation by Spencer (1856)==
 
  
 
An American version, published  in 1856 by William V. Spencer, Boston, is apparently an adaptation, as it is called "A nautical and domestic drama, in '''two''' acts" (1856), based on the "carefully marked copy" of a performance in the Boston Theatre.   
 
An American version, published  in 1856 by William V. Spencer, Boston, is apparently an adaptation, as it is called "A nautical and domestic drama, in '''two''' acts" (1856), based on the "carefully marked copy" of a performance in the Boston Theatre.   
  
==The [[burlesque]] version by Burnand==
+
=A [[burlesque]] version by Burnand (1867)=
  
''[[The Latest Edition of Black-Eyed Susan, or The Little Bill That Was Taken Up]]'' is a burlesque by F.C. Burnand  (1836–1917)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._C._Burnand]. It is also known as '''''[[Black-Eyed Susan, or The Little Bill That Was Taken Up]]'''''.  
+
Entitleds ''[[The Latest Edition of Black-Eyed Susan, or The Little Bill That Was Taken Up]]'' it is a burlesque by F.C. Burnand  (1836–1917)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._C._Burnand]. It is also known as '''''[[Black-Eyed Susan, or The Little Bill That Was Taken Up]]'''''.  
  
 
The play was first performed in the New Royalty Theatre in Soho, London, on 29 November, 1866, and published by the Strand Printing and Publishing Company in 1867.
 
The play was first performed in the New Royalty Theatre in Soho, London, on 29 November, 1866, and published by the Strand Printing and Publishing Company in 1867.
  
= Performance history in South Africa =
+
= Performance history of all three versions in South Africa =
  
 
The problem with some South African performances is that the sources are at times unclear as to which  play is being referred to by the shortened title ''[[Black-Eyed Susan]]''. For example, while it is assumed from the evidence that the burlesque version was brought to South Africa by [[Disney Roebuck]] in the 1870s,it is not always certain from the sources whether the play referred to as ''[[Black Eye'd Susan]]'' or ''[[Black Ey'd Susan]]'' by [[F.C.L. Bosman]], and listed by him for Roebuck between 1875 and 1877, is '''always''' a reference to the [[burlesque]] by Burnand, and not to the original play by Jerrold.  
 
The problem with some South African performances is that the sources are at times unclear as to which  play is being referred to by the shortened title ''[[Black-Eyed Susan]]''. For example, while it is assumed from the evidence that the burlesque version was brought to South Africa by [[Disney Roebuck]] in the 1870s,it is not always certain from the sources whether the play referred to as ''[[Black Eye'd Susan]]'' or ''[[Black Ey'd Susan]]'' by [[F.C.L. Bosman]], and listed by him for Roebuck between 1875 and 1877, is '''always''' a reference to the [[burlesque]] by Burnand, and not to the original play by Jerrold.  
  
1874: Performed in the [[Mutual Hall]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company ('''in a shortened version''') on 28 February, with ''[[Our Wife]]'' (Morton).
+
1829: Jerrold's version first performed in Cape Town by [[H. Booth]] and local amateurs on 10 November as an afterpiece to ''[[Pizarro, or The Death of Rolla]]'' (Sheridan), with Booth as "William".
 
 
1875: Performed in the [[Bijou Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 10 April and billed as a "'''new [[Burlesque]]'''", with ''[[Aurora Floyd]]'' (Braddon).
 
 
 
1875: Performed in the [[Bijou Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 20 March, with ''[[Who Speaks First?]]'' (Dance).
 
 
 
1875: Performed in the [[Bijou Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 22 March, with ''[[A Happy Pair]]'' (Smith).
 
 
 
1875: Performed in the [[Bijou Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 12 April, with ''[[Aurora Floyd]]'' (Braddon).
 
 
 
1875: Performed in the [[Bijou Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 13 April and billed as a "Naughty-Gal-Burlesque", with ''[[Black Sheep]]'' (Yates).
 
 
 
1875: Performed in the [[Bijou Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 28 July, with ''[[Brown and the Brahmins]]'' (Reece).
 
 
 
1876: Performed in the [[Athenaeum Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 23 June, with ''[[A Rough Diamond]]'' (Buckstone).
 
 
 
1877: Performed in the [[Theatre Royal]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 6 September, with ''[[The Wonderful Woman, or The Marquis and The Cobbler]]'' (Dance).
 
 
 
1877: Performed in the [[Theatre Royal]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 15 December, with ''[[The Man with the Iron Mask]]'' (Lucas).
 
 
 
== Sources ==
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
'''''[[Black-Eyed Susan, or The Little Bill That Was Taken Up]]''''' is a [[burlesque]] of Jerrold's play by by F.C. Burnand  (1836–1917)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._C._Burnand] and was first performed in London in 1866, published in 1867. It was brought to South Africa by Disney Roebuck, and it is not always certain from the sources, whether the play Bosman (1980) refers to a "shortened version" in one place and regularly lists for Roebuck between 1875 and 1877 as '''''[[Black Ey'd Susan]]''''' or '''''[[Black Eye'd Susan]]''''', always refers to the '''original''' play by Jerrold or the '''[[burlesque]]''' by Burnand.
 
 
 
''For this reason the South African performances by Roebuck are listed in both entries, below as well as in the entry on  Burnand's play'')
 
 
 
== Performance history in South Africa ==
 
 
 
1829: First performed in Cape Town by [[H. Booth]] and local amateurs on 10 November as an afterpiece to ''[[Pizarro, or The Death of Rolla]]'' (Sheridan), with Booth as "William".
 
  
 
1858: Performed (under the full title) by [[Sefton Parry]] and his company on 17 June in the [[Cape Town Theatre]]. Also performed was ''[[Buried Alive, or The Illustrious Stranger]]'' (Milligan and Kenney).
 
1858: Performed (under the full title) by [[Sefton Parry]] and his company on 17 June in the [[Cape Town Theatre]]. Also performed was ''[[Buried Alive, or The Illustrious Stranger]]'' (Milligan and Kenney).
Line 68: Line 30:
 
1866: Performed as ''[[Black-Ey'd Susan]]'' by [[Le Roy and Duret Company]] on 28 June in the [[Theatre Royal]], with ''[[Charles the Second, or The Merry Monarch]]'' (Duval).
 
1866: Performed as ''[[Black-Ey'd Susan]]'' by [[Le Roy and Duret Company]] on 28 June in the [[Theatre Royal]], with ''[[Charles the Second, or The Merry Monarch]]'' (Duval).
  
1874: Performed in the [[Mutual Hall]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company ('''in a shortened version''' ''By Lucas?'') on 28 February, with ''[[Our Wife]]'' (Morton).
+
1874: Performed in the [[Mutual Hall]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company ('''in a shortened version''' Possibly the Spencer version?) on 28 February, with ''[[Our Wife]]'' (Morton).
  
1875: Performed in the [[Bijou Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 10 April and billed as a "'''new [[Burlesque]]'''" (so most probably the version by Lucas), with ''[[Aurora Floyd]]'' (Braddon).
+
1875: Performed in the [[Bijou Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 10 April and billed as a "'''new [[Burlesque]]'''" (so most probably the version by Burnand), with ''[[Aurora Floyd]]'' (Braddon).
  
 
1875: Performed in the [[Bijou Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 20 March, with ''[[Who Speaks First?]]'' (Dance).
 
1875: Performed in the [[Bijou Theatre]], Cape Town, by [[Disney Roebuck]]'s company  on 20 March, with ''[[Who Speaks First?]]'' (Dance).

Revision as of 07:44, 22 April 2018

There are three related plays popularly known as Black-Eyed Susan (or Black-Ey'd Susan, the famous melodrama by Douglas Jerrold (1829), an adaptation by William V. Spencer (1856) and a burlesque or Jerrold's work by F.C. Burnand (1867).


Black-Eyed Susan, or All in the Downs (Jerrold, 1829)

An immensely popular comedy in three acts, written by Douglas Jerrold (1803–1857)[1], it is often simply referred to as Black-Eyed Susan, Black Eyed Susan, Black-Ey'd Susan and so on.

Based on John Gay's well known ballad by that name, it has been described as "a nautical melodrama (with all its stock characters) that praises the patriotic British tar (sailor) while critiquing authoritarianism in the British Navy"[2], it was the playwright's Jerrold's first successful play, opening at the Surrey Theatre on 26 January 1829 and setting a new record of over 150 performances. It is a key play in the history of English melodrama, and became a stock play across the Empire, also in South Africa, till well into the 20th century.

Adaptation by Spencer (1856)

An American version, published in 1856 by William V. Spencer, Boston, is apparently an adaptation, as it is called "A nautical and domestic drama, in two acts" (1856), based on the "carefully marked copy" of a performance in the Boston Theatre.

A burlesque version by Burnand (1867)

Entitleds The Latest Edition of Black-Eyed Susan, or The Little Bill That Was Taken Up it is a burlesque by F.C. Burnand (1836–1917)[3]. It is also known as Black-Eyed Susan, or The Little Bill That Was Taken Up.

The play was first performed in the New Royalty Theatre in Soho, London, on 29 November, 1866, and published by the Strand Printing and Publishing Company in 1867.

Performance history of all three versions in South Africa

The problem with some South African performances is that the sources are at times unclear as to which play is being referred to by the shortened title Black-Eyed Susan. For example, while it is assumed from the evidence that the burlesque version was brought to South Africa by Disney Roebuck in the 1870s,it is not always certain from the sources whether the play referred to as Black Eye'd Susan or Black Ey'd Susan by F.C.L. Bosman, and listed by him for Roebuck between 1875 and 1877, is always a reference to the burlesque by Burnand, and not to the original play by Jerrold.

1829: Jerrold's version first performed in Cape Town by H. Booth and local amateurs on 10 November as an afterpiece to Pizarro, or The Death of Rolla (Sheridan), with Booth as "William".

1858: Performed (under the full title) by Sefton Parry and his company on 17 June in the Cape Town Theatre. Also performed was Buried Alive, or The Illustrious Stranger (Milligan and Kenney).

1861: Performed as Black-Ey'd Susan by Sefton Parry and his company on 19 September in the Theatre Royal, with To Oblige Benson (Taylor).

1866: Performed as Black-Ey'd Susan by Le Roy and Duret Company on 28 June in the Theatre Royal, with Charles the Second, or The Merry Monarch (Duval).

1874: Performed in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company (in a shortened version Possibly the Spencer version?) on 28 February, with Our Wife (Morton).

1875: Performed in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 10 April and billed as a "new Burlesque" (so most probably the version by Burnand), with Aurora Floyd (Braddon).

1875: Performed in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 20 March, with Who Speaks First? (Dance).

1875: Performed in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 22 March, with A Happy Pair (Smith).

1875: Performed in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 12 April, with Aurora Floyd (Braddon).

1875: Performed in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 13 April and billed as a "Naughty-Gal-Burlesque", with Black Sheep (Yates).

1875: Performed in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 28 July, with Brown and the Brahmins (Reece).

1876: Performed in the Athenaeum Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 23 June, with A Rough Diamond (Buckstone).

1877: Performed in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 6 September, with The Wonderful Woman, or The Marquis and The Cobbler (Dance).

1877: Performed in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 15 December, with The Man with the Iron Mask (Lucas).

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-Eyed_Susan

Facsimile of the 1856 Boston version, Internet Archive[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_William_Jerrold

Facsimile version of the 1867 text of the burlesque, Google E-book[5]

D.C. Boonzaier. 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [6]: pp. 209-10, 242, 406.

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 68, 70, 73, 94,99, 110, 134, 211, 214-5, 312-3, 322-3, 326, 329-331, 334, 336, 340, 349, 360, 364.

William Groom. 1899-1900. Drama in Cape Town. Cape Illustrated Magazine, 10(4): 478-481, 517-520, 547-552, 580-584, 640-643, 670-672, 706-708.

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