Hotel Paradiso

Hotel Paradiso (L'Hôtel du Libre échange [1] in the original French: "Free Exchange Hotel") is an 1894 French comedy by Georges Feydeau [2] and Maurice Desvallieres. The play takes place in Paris in the 19th century, and follows two Parisian households and their friends over the course of two days. The play has three acts; acts one and three take place in Monsieur Pinglet's office, while act two takes place in Hôtel du Libre échange, a small Paris hotel. The play has been translated into several other languages.

Performance history in South Africa

1965: Presented by CAPAB directed by American director Robert Aden [3], opening 28 April 1965 at the Hofmeyr Theatre. Mavourneen Bryceland was in the cast.

1971: The Afrikaans translation by Francois Swart was staged by PACT, directed by Victor Melleney with Siegfried Mynhardt (Boniface), Tine Balder (Angelique), Louis van Niekerk] (Cot), Janice Honeyman (Marcelle), George Ballot (Maxime), Sandra Prinsloo (Victoire), Don Lamprecht (Martin), Annette Engelbrecht (Violette), Elizabeth Rae (Marguerite), Elise Hibbert (Paquerette), Nan Gray (Pervenche), Paul Eilers (Anniello), Francois Stemmet (Georges), Wilna Snyman ('n Dame), Cobus Viljoen ('n Heer), Marius Weyers (Tabu & Bouchard), Jannie Lindeque (Policeman) and Danny Keogh (Policeman). Decor by Richard Cook and costumes by Robert Pollexfen.

1977: Presented by Natal Theatre Workshop Company at the City Centre Theatre, directed by Pieter Scholtz.

1984: The Afrikaans translation by Francois Swart was staged by PACT, directed by William Egan and Tjaart Potgieter, with Egan (Boniface), Alida Theron (Angelique), Schalk Schoombie (Cot), Petru Wessels (Marcelle), Rufus Swart (Maxime), Jocelyn Broderick (Victoire), Pierre Knoesen (Martin), Helena Hettema (Violette), Sari van Rooyen (Marguerite), Gina Benjamin (Paquerette), Carolyn Barkhuizen (Pervenche), Kobus Kleynhans (Anniello), Johan Engelbrecht (Georges), Rita Ehlers ('n Dame), Willem van Staden ('n Heer), Francois Viljoen (Tabu & Bouchard) and James MacNamara. Decor by Stan Knight and costumes by Gloria Lovegrove.

2005: The translation by Peter Glanville was directed by Andrew Buckland and presented by the Rhodes University Drama Department in March/April 2005.

Translations and adaptations

English Translation of L'Hotel du Libre Echange: Hotel Paradiso, Adaptation by Peter Glenville, 1957, 1960, London: Heinemann. Published by Samuel French in the USA in 1958. This is the version that was produced on Broadway. It was also the version made into a 1966 film directed by Peter Glenville.

Translated into Afrikaans by Francois Swart for the production by PACT in 1971?

Sources

Wikipedia [4]

http://funwithfeydeau.blogspot.com/2010/05/english-translations-of-hotel-du-libre.html

CAPAB List of Plays Presented, 1971.

PACT list, 1972.

NELM: [Collection: KORT, Maurice]: 2012. 379. 16. 57 (Durban production, 1977).

Petru & Carel Trichardt theatre programme collection.

Siener in die Suburbs theatre programme containg list of actors and their roles for TRUK 1965-1971.

PACT theatre programme, 1971.

PACT theatre programme, 1984.

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