Roger la Honte

Roger la Honte is a French drama in 4 acts by Jules Mary and Georges Grisier

The original text

Based on the novel by Jules Mary, it tells of a man who murders a Jewish moneylender, but whose doppelganger is accused of the crime.

Translations and adaptations

Adapted into English as A Man's Shadow by Robert Buchanan (1841-1901)[1], the English play was initially performed as Roger la Honte, or Jean the Disgraced at the Elephant and Castle Theatre, London, on 29 November, 1888, before opening at the Haymarket Theatre as A Man's Shadow on 12 September, 1889 and playing till 29 March, 1890. The American production, entitled Roger la Honte, or A Man’s Shadow, opened at Niblo’s Garden on 8 October, 1889, produced by Augustin Daly with William Terriss in the starring roles.

Buchanan's version was made into a 1920 British silent crime film called A Man's Shadow directed by Sidney Morgan.[2]

Performance history in South Africa

1894: Performed in the Opera House, Cape Town, by the visiting Emilie Bevan Comedy Company as part of their second season.

Sources

http://www.robertbuchanan.co.uk/html/manshadow.html

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Man%27s_Shadow

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.394-5

Go to ESAT Bibliography