The Rivals

The Rivals is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816) [1].

The original text

It was the young Sheridan's first play and it premiered at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775, and published in the same year by John Wilkie.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into Dutch as De Medeminnaars by M.P. Lindo and published by Kruseman, Haarlem: 1871.

Performances in South Africa

1807: Performed in the African Theatre, Cape Town by the Garrison Players on 9 July, with The Old Maid (Murphy) and an epilogue written an spoken by Captain Collins. Mrs Kinniburgh was also one of the performers.

1808: Performed by the Garrison Players on 22 September (originally having been planned for 10 September) in the African Theatre, with Miss in her Teens, or, The Medley of Lovers (Garrick), and a variety programme including songs and gymnastic presentations (the latter billed as "by students of Astley"). The evening is a benefit for the widows and orphans of the 89th Regiment. Bosman[2] (1928: p.76) again cites the titles form a Dutch advert, as De Medeminnaars and Het Meisje boven de Tien.

1823: Performed by the Amateur Company of the Garrison, in the African Theatre, Cape Town on 28 June, with Bombastes Furioso (Rhodes)as an afterpiece.

1855: Performed by the Amateur Theatrical Society Port Elizabeth in the new Port Elizabeth Theatre in August, with The Fast Train (Anon.).

1944: Produced by the Johannesburg Repertory Society, featuring Jessie Bryant.

1967: Performed in the H.B. Thom Theatre, produced by Jocelyn de Bruyn and Ben Dehaeck, with the University Theatre of Stellenbosch in April 1967. Tine Balder as Mrs Malaprop, Mees Xteen as Acres, Piers Nicholson as Sir Lucius, Carina Fick as Lydia, John Cartwright as Jack, while Sir Anthony Absolute was played by Jocelyn de Bruyn. The rest of the cast included Leoné Schenk, Bettina Camerer, Crismont Greeff, Johan Esterhuizen and Esther Brandt. Decor and costumes by Elaine Aucamp, choreography by Gisela Taeger, lighting by Pieter de Swardt. Music arranged for the hapsichord and played by Boudewijn Scholten.

1969: Produced by PACOFS, opening on 29 January in the Civic Theatre, Bloemfontein. Directed by Roy Sargeant for PACOFS, with Joyce Bradley as Mrs Malaprop, Ralph Lawson as Captain Jack Absolute, Wilson Dunster as Bob Acres, Raymond Davies as Faulkland. Others in the cast were Maryann Johnston, Piers Nicholson, Hudson Earp, Tirzah Lowenstein, Carmen Haddad, Roy Sargeant, Ivor Levin, George Barnes, Johan Botha, Michael J. Lovegrove, Temple Hauptfleisch, Estelle Eilers. Set and costumes by Bill Smuts.

1977: Performed by NAPAC. The cast included Nigel Daly, Terrick Fitzhugh, Marcelle Mitchell, Ingride Mollison

1983: Staged by PACT, directed by Michael Atkinson, with John Hussey (Sir Anthony Absolute), James White (Capt Absolute), James Borthwick (Bob Acres), Joey Wishnia (David), Pauline Bailey (Mrs Malaprop), Pamela Gien (Lydia Languishi), Briony Mortimer (Julia), Susan Gehr (Lucy), Wilson Dunster (Faulkland), John Lesley (Sir Lucius O'Trigger), Anthony James (Coachman) and Alan Swerdlow (Fag). Designed by Andrew Botha and lighting by Stan Knight.

Sources

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

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

http://www.worldcat.org/title/medeminnaars-blijspel-in-5-bedrijven/oclc/82733387

Trek, 8(24):18.

The Rivals theatre programme (UTS), 1967.

Teater SA, 1(3), 1969.

PACT theatre programme, 1983.

PACOFS Drama 25 Years, 1963-1988.

F.C.L. Bosman, 1928[3]: pp. 75-6, 509.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

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