Le Chapeau de Paille d'Italie

Le Chapeau de Paille d'Italie is a five-act farce by French dramatist Eugène Labiche (1815–1888) and Marc-Michel (1812-1868).

The original text

First presented in Paris at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal on 14 August 1851. The play was published by Michel Lévy frères[1].

Translations and adaptations

It has been adapted for the cinema in French, English, German, Czech and Russian, and as a musical play in English and Italian versions. The piece remains regularly staged in France, where it entered the repertoire of the Comédie-Française in Paris and of theatres in other French cities.[2]

Translated into English under various titles, the best known perhaps The Italian Straw Hat.

Translated into Afrikaans by Rita Elferink with the title Die Italiaanse Strooihoed.

Performance history in South Africa

1953: Leonard Schach directed the Little Theatre Players in the English translation at the Little Theatre in December . Décor by Frank Graves, costumes by Doreen Graves. The cast: Felicity Bosman, Yvonne Bryceland, Jane Fenn, I.M. Grusd, Donald Inskip, Charles Johnman, Diana Lazar, Marjorie McCall, Paul Malherbe.

1966: The Elferink Afrikaans translation Die Italiaanse Strooihoed was staged by PACT in the Nasionale Skouburg (Pretoria) and the Kleinteater (Johannesburg), directed by Francois Swart, featuring Francois Swart/Franz Marx (Fadinard), Johan Botha (Vezinet), Petru Wessels (Anais), Marius Weyers (Emile Tavernier & Achille), Carel Trichardt (Nonancourt), Sandra Kotze (Helene), Louw Verwey (Bobin), Anna Cloete (Maman & Barones), Marga van Rooy (Clara), James Norval (Tardiveau), Louis van Niekerk (Beauperthuis), Thea Kirstein (Virginie), Willem Vermaas (Felix) and others. Sets and costumes by Chris van den Berg. After the runs in Pretoria and Johannesburg the production went on tour to other centres in South Africa.