The Wizard Skiff


The Wizard Skiff is a British play written by J.T. Haines in the 1830s.

Background

Haines created the nautical melodramatic romance titled The Wizard Skiff; or, The Tongueless Pirate Boy in the early 1830s. A travesti role created for Céline Céleste, she took on the roles of Alexa Mavrona, a Greek lady; Alexis, the leader of the Wizard Skiff; and Agata, a Zingari boy. It was performed by her in Paris and London.
Madame Céleste had once performed The Wizard Skiff 150 times in one year.

Synopsis

The play was set along a coastal Russian military village and featured a villain who posed as a Muslim Russian count, with a backstory of exterminating a Greek Archon and his family, sparing only a baby girl named Alexa whose tongue was cut out.

Roles

Based on a performance at the Bristol Old Vic on 26 September 1834, the cast was the following:
Greek characters included:
  • Alexa Mavrona, a Greek lady
  • Alexis, Chief of the Wizard Skiff
  • Agata, A Zingaro boy
  • *Constantine, an aged priest and Agnosti, his son, disguised as Paul, mate of the Skiff
  • *Anastasius
  • *Michael
Russian Characters included:
  • Count Beregenoff, Russian Noble, formerly in Turkish Service and Wolfo, his serf and confidant
  • *Vern Waddledorf, Mayor of the District
  • *Fritz, an old peasant
  • *Paulina, niece to the mayor

Adaptations

Variations of the play were titled The Wizard Skiff; or, The Tongueless Pirate Boy and The Wizard Skiff; or, The Massacre of Scio.
Marietta Ravel's production of The Wizard Skiff occurred in 1866.