French Theatre
The notion French Theatre occurs in a number of meanings, in various combinations.
Contents
French Theatre as a genre
French Theatre can imply the Theatre of France[1] or it can mean Theatre in the French Language, i.e theatre written and performed in French anywhere in the world, including the former French colonial empire and the Francophone countries in the Caribbean and Africa.
See French Theatre in South Africa
French Theatre as the name for a company and/or venue
References to a French Theatrical Company, French Theatre Company, etc appear in a number of sources over the course of the first half of the 18th century in Cape Town. Among them:
The French Theatrical Company 1808-9
In 1808-1809 a group of amateur and professional players, apparently referred to as the "French Theatrical Company" or French Theatre Company in English and , The first productions were in what was called the French Theatre in Berg Street.
From 1809 they appear to have amalgamated with the bilingual Dutch/French company Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense, and performed in the African Theatre.
They produced a number of French works in this period, including Les Plaideurs (Racine), Le Petit Matelot, ou Le Mariage Impromptu (Pigault Lebrun),
The French Theatre Company 1848
A French Theatre Company is reported by "Sam Sly" to have opened the Drury Lane Theatre on Constitution Hill in Cape Town on June 19th, 1848, with "tragic Scenes, Vaudevilles, and Interludes of music and dancing". He may be referring to Dalle Case and the company from Mauritius which was billed as "French Dramatic Artistes".
The French Theatre, venue in Cape Town 1807-1808
Known as Den Franschen Schouwburg in Dutch and The French Theatre in English, this venue was a subscription theatre erected in the store of Mr J.H. Brand in Berg Street, Cape Town in 1807 by the French Theatre Company, to present French plays, and it was active till 1808.
The first performances were given in French on 28 November of that year, most probably under the guiding hand of C.E.Boniface. The venue appears to have closed by the end of 1808, since a sale and possible auction of all its goods (sets, costumes, etc) was advertised on 26 November 1808.
In 1809 the company appears to have amalgamated with the bilingual Dutch/French company Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense, and henceforth performed in the African Theatre.
See also Den Franschen Schouwburg
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_France
F.C.L. Bosman, 1928[2]: p. 277 [[ Jill Fletcher]], 1994
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