Paul Savage

(19**-) Actor, director. Studied drama at UCT Drama School and the Community Arts Project and completed an Arts Council of England directing course at the Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham and the New Vic Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, in October 2000. Worked for as an actor in South Africa for a while, most notably playing Nines (the lead) in District Six – The Musical by David Kramer and Taliep Petersen and then Trevor in Just Like Home by Pieter-Dirk Uys. Just Like Home (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1989) After the latter's productions at Edinburgh Festival and its transfer to London, he stayed in England where he worked for 18 years as an actor and director. In this time he performed in Kat and the Kings during their run in the West End. Other productions include performing in The Ramayana at the Birmingham Rep and the National Theatre (200-2001) and Truth in Translation, (directed by Michael Lessac, 2007). In 2004 he was awarded the Esmee Fairbain Foundation / Arts Council of England Directing Award at Nottingham Playhouse, where he directed Othello. He returned to the Baxter Theatre Centre in 2004 to perform in Adam Small's Kanna Hy Kô Hystoe. In 2008 he directed Echoes/Eggos by Royston Stoffels. Film work includes Leon Schuster's Mama Jack. Paul Savage studied drama at the University of Cape Town Drama School and the Community Arts Project in Cape Town. He worked as an actor in South Africa until he left for the UK in 1989 with the production Just Like Home by Pieter-Dirk Uys. In 2000 he completed an Arts Council of England directing bursary attached to the Midlands Arts Centre (Mac) in Birmingham and the New Vic Theatre, Stoke on Trent. The bursary was extended to include the production of The Ramayana at the Birmingham Rep and the National Theatre ending in 2001. In 2002 he was invited to continue his training as a director at the National Theatre of England and in 2003 he represented England at the European cultural conference for directors in Russia. Later that year he was awarded the Esmee Fairbain Foundation/Arts Council of England Directing Award at Nottingham Playhouse where he directed Othello. After 15 years in England he now divides his time working in South Africa and England. He returned to the Baxter Theatre in 2004 to perform in Adam Small's Kanna hy kô Hystoe. Last year he assisted in directing a Swedish co-production of Lara Foot-Newton’s play Reach for the Baxter Theatre and The Regina Theatre in Sweden and later that year he directed a UK tour of Woza Albert which was a co-production between Mac in Birmingham (UK) and the South African State Theatre. He was last seen in Chris van Wyk’s play Shirley, Goodness and Mercy (2007) at the Baxter Theatre and Market Theatre.

Return to ESAT Personalities S

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to Main Page