A Book of Burlesque: Sketches of English Stage Travestie and ParodyAdams, William Davenport
History
A Book of Burlesque: Sketches of English Stage Travestie and Parody
Adams, William Davenport
Burlesque (Literature); English literature -- History and criticism; Parody
But it was to the "Contes des Fées" of Madame D'Aulnoy that Planché
was most largely indebted for his fairy stories. The list (extending
from 1842 to 1854) is quite an imposing one. First came "Fortunio, and
his Seven Gifted Servants," based on "Belle-Belle, ou le Chevalier
Fortuné." Next, "The Invisible Prince, or the Island of Tranquil
Delights," taken from "Le Prince Lutin." "Le Rameau d'Or" suggested
"The Golden Branch," and "The King of Peacocks"[20] had its origin
in "La Princesse Rosette." From "Le Serpentin Vert" was derived "The
Island of Jewels"; from "L'Oiseau Bleu," "King Charming, or the Blue
Bird of Paradise"; from "La Grenouille Bienfaisante," "The Queen of
the Frogs"; from "La Biche au Bois,"[21] "The Prince of Happy Land,
or the Fawn in the Forest"; from "La Princesse Carpillon," "Once upon
a Time there were Two Kings"; and from "Le Nain Jeune," "The Yellow
Dwarf and the King of the Gold Mines." "Beauty and the Beast" was taken
from a tale by Mme. le Prince de Beaumont; but Planché claimed that the
treatment was wholly new. He had Vestris for his Beauty, Harrison the
tenor for his Beast, and Bland for his Sir Aldgate Pump, the father of
Beauty. "The Good Woman in the Wood" was from a story by Mme. de la
Force; and "Young and Handsome" from a faërie by the Countess de Murat.
"Graciosa and Percinet" likewise had a French origin.
[20] This, first played at the Lyceum in 1860, was afterwards revived
at the St. James's with Miss Kate Terry as the Princess.
[21] Other versions of this tale have been written by Maddison Morton
(at Drury Lane), and by Mr. Burnand (at the Holborn in 1868, under the
title of "The White Fawn").
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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