Les Pauvres de Paris

Les Pauvres de Paris ("The poor of Paris") is a drama in seven acts by Edouard-Louis-Alexandre Brisbarre ()[] and Eugène Nus ()[].

The original text

First performed in Paris at the Théatre de l'Ambigu-Comique on 5 September, 1856.

Translations and adaptations

In dire need of money Dion Boucicault ()[] collaborated with three journalists - Seymour, Goodrich, and Warden - to adapt the French play into English as The Poor of New York. First performed at Wallack's Theatre, New York, in 1857, to poor critical response, but popular with audiences, the play was soon adapted to other cities where it was performed, and billed under a vast number of names, including The Streets of New York, The Streets of Philadelphia, The Poor of the London Streets, The Poor of Liverpool , The Streets of Islington, The Streets of London, The Streets of Dublin, etc.

First published in New York by Samuel French as The Poor of New York in 1857.

In the British colonies it was best remembered as The Streets of London or The Streets of Dublin.

Filmed as The Streets of London in 1934 by

Performance history in South Africa

1866: Performed as Lucretia Borgia by the Le Roy-Duret Company in the Harrington Street Theatre, Cape Town, on

Sources

Richard Fawkes. 2011. Dion Boucicault Ardent Media[1] By

The Streets of London, University of Kent Special Collections and Archives[2]

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 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.203-205

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