You Never Can Tell

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You Never Can Tell [1] is a four-act comedy by George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)[2].

The original text

Written in 1897, published in volume two of Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant in 1898 and first performed on 26 November, 1899 in the Royalty Theatre, London, by the Stage Society.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

19**: Staged in Bloemfontein by an amateur company which included Rose Ehrlich and R.C. Steegers, it was the first of Shaw's plays to be performed in South Africa.

1939: Presented by the Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society at the Little Theatre in March, directed by George Vollaire.

1954: Staged by the National Theatre Organisation, directed by Leon Gluckman, with Melville Oxley (Mr Valentine), Roma Reilly (Dolly Clandon), Gordon Pethick (Philip Clandon), Margot Heath (Mrs Clandon), Edna Jacobson (Gloria Clandon), Frank Wise (Fergus Crampton), Siegfried Mynhardt (The Waiter), Patrick Mynhardt (Mr Bohun Q.C.), Rigby Foster (Finch McComas) and Gladys Haupt (A Parlourmaid).

1958: Presented by the Springs Repertory Players, directed by Eric Ash at the Municipal Theatre, Springs, from 19 to 24 May.

1968: Presented by PACT at the Alexander Theatre, Johannesburg, and at the Breytenbach Theatre, Pretoria, from February to May 1968. Directed by Taubie Kushlick with Dale Cutts, Gillian Lomberg, John Rogers, Margaret Fry, Marika Mann, Kerry Jordan, Siegfried Mynhardt, Robert van der Westhuisen, John McKelvey and Ivor van Rensburg. Décor by Raimond Schoop, costumes by Aubrey Couling and lighting by Taubie Kushlick, assisted by Richard Lockwood.

1968: Presented by the University of Cape Town's Speech and Drama Department at the Little Theatre in June, directed by Mavis Taylor.

Sources

Wikipedia [3]

Wikipedia [4]

Archive [5]

Inskip, 1972. pp.124, 153.

NTO theatre programme, 1954.

PACT souvenir programme of February to May 1968.

Tucker, 1997. 74.

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