The Robber's Wife

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The Robber's Wife is the title of a play in two acts (or two plays of this format) by Isaac Pocock (1782–1835)[1]

There appear to be two versions of the play, a two act play published in 1827 and a two act "romantic drama" with music published in 1830. The origins given for the two versions also differ, as do their later subtitled versions (i.e. The Robber's Wife, or the Coiner's Cave and The Robber's Wife, or The Golden Ingot).

Both versions were published in South Africa and are discussed separately below under their later, fuller titles.

The Robber's Wife, or the Coiner's Cave (1827)

The original text

This was published and performed in 1827, and described as an English adaptation of the Irish traditional tale called Suil Dhur, or The Coiners, but set in Cumberland by Pocock. First performed in London in 1827, inter alia The text was published by John Cumberland with this title in a collection called The Robber's Wife and Other Plays (1827).

The play was often produced apparently, inter alia at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden in on 22 October 1829, still under the title The Robber’s Wife.

However, later productions appear to have been done under the fuller title of The Robber's Wife, or the Coiner's Cave.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1861: Performed as The Robber's Wife, or the Coiner's Cave in the Theatre Royal by the Garrison Players (possibly officers and men of the 11th Regiment) on Monday 4 February, with Bombastes Furioso (Rhodes).


Sources

Facsimile version of The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle, Volume 99,Part 2: Page 362, Google Ebook[2].

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 166,

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The Robber's Wife, or The Golden Ingot. (1830)

The original play

The provenance of this play is given an adaptation of the German opera Der schlafende Räuber oder Die Räuberbrau ("The sleeping robber" or "The robber's bride"), with a libretto by J. Jos. Reiff and music by Ferdinand Ries. It had its première in Frankfurt on 15th October 1828, published 1829.

The English prose version by Isaac Pocock was performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, Thursday, January 7th, 1830. The acting text, with notes added, published in London : John Cumberland in 1835.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1834: Performed in the African Theatre, Cape Town by All the World's a Stage on 26 April 1834, along with Jerrold's The Bride of Ludgate (Jerrold).

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Pocock

http://www.worldcat.org/title/robbers-wife-a-romantic-drama-in-two-acts/oclc/35993771

http://www.ferdinand-ries.de/english/frankfurt.html

Ferdinand Ries, Brief an Franz Gerhard Wegeler in Koblenz, Godesberg, 24. Oktober 1826[3]

F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [4]: pp. 228

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