Who Speaks First?
Who Speaks First? is a farce in one act by Charles Dance (1794–1863)[1].
Sometimes given as Who Speaks First.
Contents
The original text
A farce about a a loving brother who has to bring a reconciliation between a young couple who having argued, each refuse to be the first to speak.
First performed in 1849 at Madame Vestris's Lyceum Theatre, London, then played at various theatres in New York in the same year. Published by both Samuel French and M. Douglas, 1850 (as Issue 34 of Minor drama).
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
1857: Performed as Who Speaks First by the Boscawen Amateurs in Simonstown on 28 December, with The Somnabulist (Moncrieff) as a benefit evening for the Indian Sufferers Relief Fund.
1857: Performed in the Harrington Street Theatre , Cape Town, on 23 September by the Sefton Parry Company. Also performed was Crimson Crimes (Anon) and Monsieur Jacques (Barnett and Barnett).
1875: Performed as Who Speaks First? in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 20 March, with Black-Eyed Susan (Jerrold).
Sources
Facsimile version of the Douglas edition of 1850, Hathi Trust Digital Library[2]
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 59, 61, 164, 231, 322`
William Groom. 1899-1900. Drama in Cape Town. Cape Illustrated Magazine, 10(4): 478-481, 517-520, 547-552, 580-584, 640-643, 670-672, 706-708.
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