Monsieur Tonson

A popular farce in two acts by William Thomas (W. T.) Moncrieff (1794-1857), based on Monsieur Tonson: A Tale in Verse (1796) by John Taylor (1757-1832).

Performance history in South Africa

1827: First performed on Monday 27th August in Cape Town's Cape Town Theatre by the Garrison Amateur Company, along with the "operatic interlude" Amoroso (Planché) and Miss in Her Teens (Garrick). The name of the author of Monsieur Tonson is wrongly spelled "Moncrieffe" in the source for this production.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into Dutch as Monsieur Tonson, of De Geplaagde Barbier by B.J. van der Sandt.

1835: Listed as a new farce, translated out of the English by "een Amateur", it was performed by Vlyt en Kunst in Cape Town on 15 August 1835, alongside Aballino, De Groote Bandiet (Zschokke).

1835: Announced on 16 October and performed in the Stads Schouwburg ("Civic Theatre") Cape Town by the children's theatre company Kunst en Smaak on 21 November 1835, alongside Aballino Junior, of De Kleine Bandiet (De Lima). The cast included J. Stegman as "Tom King" and F. Langerman. The production was repeated on 31 October.

1837: Performed on 12 August in Dutch by Tot Oefening en Vermaak in the Liefhebbery Tooneel ("Amateur Theatre") in Cape Town alongside Roland de Monglave, of De Zegepraal der Onschuld (a translation by M.G. Engelman, from the French play by Loaisel Tréogate).