Difference between revisions of "French Theatre in South Africa"

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[[French Theatre in South Africa]] can mean two things:  
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Broadly speaking [[French Theatre in South Africa]] can refer to three things:  
  
''' BEING EDITED'''
 
  
= Productions of theatrical works in the French language =
 
  
Productions of plays and other performance work in French has been a somewhat sporadic affair. Such productions did flourish briefly in Cape Town at the beginning of the 18th century, under the Batavian rule, when Cape Town had a number of French visitors as well as a French Garrison, but for the most part such events have been reliant on visiting companies and performers, the work of French teachers and University French Departments, authors of French or Belgian extraction (e.g. [[C.E. Boniface]]), amateur enthusiasts, and formal French organizations such as the Alliance Française[http://www.alliance.org.za/] and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS)[http://www.ambafrance-rsa.org/French-Institute-of-South-Africa,896]. 
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= Productions of theatrical works in the original French language =
  
== Some French theatre companies==
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Productions of plays and other performance work in French has been a somewhat sporadic affair. Such productions did flourish briefly in Cape Town at the beginning of the 19th century (1803-6), under the French supported [[Batavian Republic]], when Cape Town had a number of French visitors as well as a [[French Garrison]], when Cape Town became known as  "Little Paris".  However, for the most part such events have been reliant on visiting companies and performers, the work of French teachers and University French Departments and university associations, authors of French or Belgian extraction (e.g. [[C.E. Boniface]]), amateur enthusiasts, and formal French organizations such as the Alliance Française[http://www.alliance.org.za/] and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS)[http://www.ambafrance-rsa.org/French-Institute-of-South-Africa,896].
 +
 
 +
= Theatre companies and venues dedicated to French plays and performances=
 +
 
 +
A number of local and visiting companies have, over the centuries, dedicated themselves to aspects of French culture in South Africa and the performance and/or discussion of French plays and films. Many of these have the word "French" (or the translated equivalent) in their name.
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'''Among such companies and venues mentioned in ESAT are:'''
  
 
[[Fransch Blyspel Gezelschap]]
 
[[Fransch Blyspel Gezelschap]]
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[[Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense]]
 
[[Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense]]
 
When doing French plays, the company (like other companies doing French plays before and after) was referred to variously as [[Het Fransche Liefhebbery Geselschap]] in [[Dutch]] (or in some cases as [[Een Fransch Gezelschap van Liefhebbers van het Theater]], een [[Fransch Blyspel Gezelschap]]; die [[Franse Geselskap]] or die [[Franse Amateurs]] in [[Afrikaans]] publications (e.g. Bosman);  and in English  as the [[French-Dutch Amateurs]], the [[French Amateur Company]], the [[French Theatre Company]] or [[The French Company]].
 
  
 
= Performances of French theatrical works in translation =
 
= Performances of French theatrical works in translation =
  
Productions of French plays in translation on the other hand have been enormously popular, works having been translated into a number of the South African languages[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_South_Africa], and many of the performances becoming iconic events in the history of the theatre in the country.  
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Productions of plays originally written in French have been enormously popular in translation on the other hand, such works having been translated into a number of the South African languages[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_South_Africa], and many of the performances becoming iconic events in the history of the theatre in the country.  
  
 +
Among the many playwrights whose works have been translated and performed in South Africa are Marcel Achard, Jean- Fernando Arrabal, Marcel Aymé, Pierre Barillet, Jean-Jacques Bernard, Marc Camoletti, Paul Claudel, Jean Cocteau, Pierre Corneille, Jacques Deval, Marguerite Duras,  Georges Feydeau, Jean Genet,  Paul Géraldy, Jean Giraudoux, Edmond Gondinet, Jean-Pierre Grédy, Sacha Guitry, Eugène Ionesco, Bernard-Marie Koltès, Jean de Létraz, Claude Magnier, Eduardo Manet, Pierre de Marivaux , Marcelle Maurette, Octave Mirbeau, Molière,  André Obey,  René de Obaldia, Claude-André Puget, Yasmina Reza, André Roussin, Victorien Sardou, Jean-Paul Sartre, Robert Thomas, Bayard Veiller,  and Louis Verneuil.
 +
  
See individual entries for plays produced in translation under [[South_African_Theatre/Plays|South African Stage Plays]],m [[South_African_Radio/Plays|South African Radio Plays and Serials]], [[South_African_Television/Plays|South African Television Plays and Series]]
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== To find the names of individual plays translated or performed: ==
  
=Sources=
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Use the '''''Search''''' function (in space at the top right of this page; ''or'' type '''Alt-F''') and using the name of the '''author''' and/or name of the '''play''' as '''key word''' for the search.''
  
 +
==To find productions and translations of the individual French plays==
  
 +
'''Search for the title in:'''
  
 +
[[South_African_Theatre/Plays|South African Stage Plays]]
  
[[F.C.L. Bosman]], 1928. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855''. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bosm012dram01_01/]
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[[South_African_Radio/Plays|South African Radio Plays and Serials]]
  
http://www.ambafrance-rsa.org/Culture,865
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[[South_African_Television/Plays|South African Television Plays and Series]]
  
=Return to=
 
  
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Themes|South African Theatre Terminology and Thematic Entries]]
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=Sources=
  
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_France
  
Return to [[Main Page]]
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavian_Republic
  
== The [[French Theatrical Company]] 1808-9==
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http://www.sahistory.org.za/south-africa-1652-1806/batavian-republic-1803-1806
  
== The [[French Theatre Company]] 1848 ==
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Colony
  
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[[F.C.L. Bosman]], 1928. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855''. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bosm012dram01_01/]
  
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]]".
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[[Jill Fletcher]], 1994
  
== [[The French Theatre]], venue in Cape Town 1807-1808 ==
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http://www.ambafrance-rsa.org/Culture,865
  
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.
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Go to the [[ESAT Bibliography]]
  
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.
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=Return to=
  
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]].
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Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Themes|South African Theatre Terminology and Thematic Entries]]
 
 
'''See also [[Den Franschen Schouwburg]]'''
 
 
 
= Sources =
 
 
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_France
 
 
 
[[F.C.L. Bosman]], 1928[http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bosm012dram01_01/]: p. 93, 94, 125, 277
 
 
 
[[Jill Fletcher]], 1994
 
 
 
= Return to =
 
 
 
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Venues|South African Theatre Venues, Companies, Societies, etc ]]
 
  
 
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
 
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
  
 
Return to [[Main Page]]
 
Return to [[Main Page]]
 
In 1808-1809 a group of amateur and professional players, apparently referred to as the "[[French Theatrical Company]]", produced a number of French works, including ''[[Les Plaideurs]]'' (Racine), ''[[Le Petit Matelot, ou Le Mariage Impromptu]]'' (Pigault Lebrun), 
 
 
 
A French Theatre company 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”. May have been [[Dalle Case]] and the company from Mauritius which was billed as "[[French Dramatic Artistes]]".
 
 
 
 
== Sources ==
 
 
Bosman 1928, pp. 
 
 
Fletcher, 1994
 
 
== For more information ==
 
 
See also [[French Dramatic Artistes]] and [[French theatre in South Africa]]
 

Latest revision as of 05:46, 11 February 2017

Broadly speaking French Theatre in South Africa can refer to three things:


Productions of theatrical works in the original French language

Productions of plays and other performance work in French has been a somewhat sporadic affair. Such productions did flourish briefly in Cape Town at the beginning of the 19th century (1803-6), under the French supported Batavian Republic, when Cape Town had a number of French visitors as well as a French Garrison, when Cape Town became known as "Little Paris". However, for the most part such events have been reliant on visiting companies and performers, the work of French teachers and University French Departments and university associations, authors of French or Belgian extraction (e.g. C.E. Boniface), amateur enthusiasts, and formal French organizations such as the Alliance Française[1] and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS)[2].

Theatre companies and venues dedicated to French plays and performances

A number of local and visiting companies have, over the centuries, dedicated themselves to aspects of French culture in South Africa and the performance and/or discussion of French plays and films. Many of these have the word "French" (or the translated equivalent) in their name.

Among such companies and venues mentioned in ESAT are:

Fransch Blyspel Gezelschap

Een Fransch Gezelschap van Liefhebbers van het Theater

Het Fransche Liefhebbery Geselschap, Cape Town

Franse Geselskap

Franse Amateurs

French Amateur Company, Cape Town

French-Dutch Amateurs, Cape Town

French Dramatic Artistes, Cape Town

The French Theatre, Cape Town

French Theatre Company, Cape Town

French Theatrical Company, Cape Town

Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense

Performances of French theatrical works in translation

Productions of plays originally written in French have been enormously popular in translation on the other hand, such works having been translated into a number of the South African languages[3], and many of the performances becoming iconic events in the history of the theatre in the country.

Among the many playwrights whose works have been translated and performed in South Africa are Marcel Achard, Jean- Fernando Arrabal, Marcel Aymé, Pierre Barillet, Jean-Jacques Bernard, Marc Camoletti, Paul Claudel, Jean Cocteau, Pierre Corneille, Jacques Deval, Marguerite Duras, Georges Feydeau, Jean Genet, Paul Géraldy, Jean Giraudoux, Edmond Gondinet, Jean-Pierre Grédy, Sacha Guitry, Eugène Ionesco, Bernard-Marie Koltès, Jean de Létraz, Claude Magnier, Eduardo Manet, Pierre de Marivaux , Marcelle Maurette, Octave Mirbeau, Molière, André Obey, René de Obaldia, Claude-André Puget, Yasmina Reza, André Roussin, Victorien Sardou, Jean-Paul Sartre, Robert Thomas, Bayard Veiller, and Louis Verneuil.


To find the names of individual plays translated or performed:

Use the Search function (in space at the top right of this page; or type Alt-F) and using the name of the author and/or name of the play as key word for the search.

To find productions and translations of the individual French plays

Search for the title in:

South African Stage Plays

South African Radio Plays and Serials

South African Television Plays and Series


Sources

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

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

http://www.sahistory.org.za/south-africa-1652-1806/batavian-republic-1803-1806

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

F.C.L. Bosman, 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [4]

Jill Fletcher, 1994

http://www.ambafrance-rsa.org/Culture,865

Go to the ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to South African Theatre Terminology and Thematic Entries

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page