Die Swerfjare van Poppie Nongena

Die Swerfjare van Poppie Nongena (Lit: "The Wandering Years of Poppie Nongena") can refer to either the 1978 novel, or to the 1984 stage play, based on the novel.

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(Also known in English as Poppie or The Long Journey of Poppie Nongena)

The novel
Die Swerfjare van Poppie Nongena was originally written in Afrikaans, and tells the story of Poppie and her peripatetic life, trials and tribulations as a black woman in Apartheid South Africa. first published in 1978. Translated into English by Joubert herself as The Long Journey of Poppie Nongena in 1980.

Translations and adaptations
It was adapted for the stage by Joubert and Sandra Kotzé. A stage adaptation of Joubert’s contentious and award-winning political novel of the same name (published 1978) on by Elsa Joubert and Sandra Kotzé.

Published as Poppie: Die Drama ("Poppie: The Drama") by Elsa Joubert and Sandra Kotzé. Tafelberg, 1984, though performed either as Poppie or its full title, Die Swerfjare van Poppie Nongena

An English translation (entitled The Long Journey of Poppie Nongena or simply Poppie) was done by Sandra Kotzé and staged at the Market Theatre and in New York in 1983 by Lucille Gillwald. It toured the United States for two years.

Poppie Nongena, Elsa Joubert, Sandra Kotze (musical play adapted for stage by Sandra Kotzé), Hilary Blecher (dir) Off Broadway & Edinburgh Festival, 1983.

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LONG JOURNEY OF POPPIE NONGENA film. Main Director KOOS ROETS Year 1989 http://www.citwf.com/film202568.htm

"Sophie Thoko Mgcina" in Women Marching Into the 21st Century: Wathint' Abafazi, Wathint' Imbokodo, HSRC Press, 2000: pp158-9, Google E-book

Performance history in South Africa
1979: First performed in Boshof on 12 February by PACOFS and in Bloemfontein under the direction of Kotzé and featuring Nomsa Nene. The play made Nene famous as "Poppie", a role she played in most of the early productions.

1979: Staged by CAPAB, directed by Sandra Kotzé, with Lida Meiring (Poppie), Marko van der Colff (Verteller), Brümilda van Rensburg (Ma Lena), Ian Roberts (Mosie), Marthinus Basson (Stone) and Willem de la Querra (Hoedjie). Lida Meiring won a Fleur du Cap Award for Best Actress in the role of Poppie Nongena.

1980: Directed by Hilary Blecher for The Company at the Market Theatre.

1981: Presented by KRUIK Toneel under the direction of Pieter Fourie opening 4 July at the Nico Malan Theatre starring Nomhle Nkonyeni as Poppie, Neels Coetzee, Brümilda van Rensburg, Marko van der Colff, David van der Merwe and Paul Lückhoff. Decor and costumes by Penny Simpson, lighting by John T. Baker.

1984: PACT Drama production of Poppie in English, based on Elsa Joubert's Die swerfjare van Poppie Nongena, adapted by Sandra Kotzé and Elsa Joubert, and produced in 1984, directed by Marius Weyers, with Nomsa Nene and Peter Se-Puma in the cast, also starring Whinney-Isaiah Setimo, Arthur Masekwameng, Aubrey Radebe, Tembsie Times, Themba Nyathi, Carolyn Barkhuizen and Lochner de Kock. This production had a Cape Town season at the Nico Malan Theatre in association with Basil Rubin.

2004-5: Produced by Henry Mylne at the Suidoosterfees and KKNK as Poppie - Die Drama, starring Terence Bridgett, Bertha le Roux, Vinette Ebrahim, Fiks Mahola, Denver Vraagom, Theodore Jantjies and Willem Klopper. Set designed by Johan Engelbrecht.

Marthinus Basson, Lida Meiring, Brümilda van Rensburg and Ian Roberts did about 400 performances of the play on tour. (Burger, 28 March 2012).

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