page_title: Le droit d'aînesse
section_title: Falka
hierarchical_section_title: Le droit d'aînesse / Falka
caption_attribution_description: Caricature of William Sydney Penley. Caption read "Charley's Aunt".
context_page_description: Le droit d'aînesse is an opéra bouffe, a form of operetta, in three acts by Francis Chassaigne with a French libretto by Eugène Leterrier and Albert Vanloo. It premiered in Paris in 1883. An English-language version titled Falka, with a libretto translated and adapted by Henry Brougham Farnie, was successfully premiered in London later that year followed by productions throughout the English-speaking world.
context_section_description: Falka, the English version of Le droit d'aînesse, with Leterrier and Vanloo's libretto translated and adapted by Henry Brougham Farnie, was first produced at the Comedy Theatre in London on 29 October 1883. Violet Cameron performed the title role of Falka, Harry Paulton was Folbach, and W. S. Penley was Brother Pelican. It ran at the Comedy for 157 performances. Charles Manners later played Boleslas, and Giulia Warwick played the title role on tour. It was revived at the Avenue Theatre in 1885, still starring Cameron, with Hayden Coffin and E. J. Lonnen. Falka also enjoyed successful productions in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, including 1884 and 1900 productions on Broadway.  The first of these, at the Casino Theatre, starred J. H. Ryley.
caption: Penley in Vanity Fair, 1893
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