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When the Spaniards Were Here

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
When the Spaniards Were Here
Costume drawing by Edvard Lehmann for the play: Two Spanish soldiers
Written byHans Christian Andersen
Date premiered6 April 1865
Place premieredRoyal Danish Theatre, Denmark
Original languageDanish
GenreComedy
SettingMiddelfart

When the Spaniards Were Here (Da Spanierne var her) is a romantic, comic play by Hans Christian Andersen. It premiered on the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen on 6 April 1865, just a few days after the celebration of Andersen's 60th birthday.

Composition

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Andersen's first childhood memory involved Spanish soldiers on Funen. The first time they appear in his writings is in the poem Soldaten (The Soldier) from 1830. The male protagonist of his play Skilles og mødes was also a Spanish soldier.[1] In 1835. Andersen wrote a vaudeville titled Spanierne i Odense (The Spaniards in Odense) which never premiered. In 1865, he adapted it into the play When the Spaniards Were Here, changing the setting from Odense to Middelfart.[2]

Production history

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The play premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre on 6 April 1976. The theatre was sold-out and members of the royal family were present at the event. It played seven times.[3] The cast included;[2]

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References

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  1. ^ "When the Spaniards Were Here". museum.odense.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Da Spanierne var her". wayback-01.kb.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  3. ^ "1865". sdu.dk (in Norwegian). Retrieved 26 March 2018.