AustLit

Written expressly for the touring Christy's Minstrels troupe, this operatic burlesque is based on A. E. Scribe and G. Meyerbeer's opera L'Africaine (The African Girl) depicting fictional events in the life of the explorer Vasco da Gama. The opera itself had been staged in Sydney for the first time in May that year (Prince of Wales Theatre), and had been given a Melbourne season prior to the Christy's burlesque production in that city.

In critiquing Akhurst's role in adapting the work, the Age theatre critic writes, 'The local hits were racy and pungent.... [and] the music of the opera has, in some instances, been adhered to' (13 August 1866, p.5). The Bell's Life in Victoria critic agreed, noting, 'The new burlesque is almost too faithful a copy of the original and it is little short of sacrilege to smuggle the music of Meyerbeer into such a laughable travesty. The adapter has shown great talent in being able to present such a grand work in such comical guise... The dialogue sparkles with local witticisms' (18 August 1866, p.2).

The character of Sélika is portrayed in the burlesque as an Aboriginal woman.