Against the advice of his alchemist, Sir Arthur calls up the Spirit of Laughter on New
Year’s Eve and asks to see the coming year’s issues of the Times.
— Michael Main
Sir Arthur Strangways: Only a trifle. I wish to see a file of
the Times. Hahalaba:For what year?
DEBUT
The Jest of Hahalaba, unknown first performance, circa 1926.
VARIANTS
Debut. The Jest of Hahalaba, unknown first performance, circa 1926.
From the files of the Times, 1927 ⋙ to Sir Arthur Strangways’s house in London, New Year’s Eve, 1926. Round trip. Note: a whole year’s worth of newspapers.
INDEXER NOTES (SPOILERS!)
Debut—We suspect that the first performance was in <samp>1926</samp> based on the opening remarks—<i>The last moments of <samp>1926</samp>. Bells are ringing in the New Year.</i>—given in it’s publication in <a href='https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theatlantic.com%2Fmagazine%2Farchive%2F1927%2F01%2Fthe-jest-of-hahalaba-a-one-act-play%2F649473%2F'><em>The Atlantic,</em> <samp>December 1927</samp></a>. Later publications revised the date to the last moments of <samp>1928</samp>.