The Kickapoos
The Kickapoos were a dance troupe active in Cape Town circa the 1870s.
Also referred to as The Grotesques later.
The Kickapoos
The group was apparently founded by, and consisted of, Mr Wilmore, Mr Leonard and Mr Pine, who performed in productions in Cape Town.
For instance, they are first mentioned by Bosman (1980) for their appearance in a production of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves by the Disney Roebuck company at the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, on 18 February 1878, performing A Grand Demon Ballet ZigZag (repeated 18 to 21 March), followed by a number of performances in support of plays, including William Tell and Adrift.
Other performances named are:
1878: Performed a "dance on the High Pedestal" in the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck and his company, as an interlude to performances of The Lyons Mail (Moreau, Siraudin and Delacour/Reade), the "Burlesque Extravaganza" called Ill Treated Il Trovatore, or The Mother, The Maiden and The Musician (Byron) and A Phenomenon in a Smock Frock (Brough).
The Grotesques
Having been renamed The Grotesques, the company performed for Disney Roebuck in the Theatre Royal a number of times during June 1878, as accompaniment to plays such as British Born, The Daughter of the Regiment, The Two Orphans, etc.
Sources
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 366-369
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