Difference between revisions of "Woyzeck"

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An unfinished play by Georg Buchner, about a German soldier who murders his mistress. Deals with jealousy, murder and the individual’s struggle against society. A number of incomplete versions written in 1836-7, then later edited by Karl Emil Franzos and published posthumously in 1879. First produced only in 1913, in München.  
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''[[Woyzeck]]'' is an unfinished play [[Georg Büchner]] (1813-1837) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_B%C3%BCchner].
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==The original text==
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A play about a German soldier who murders his mistress. Deals with jealousy, murder and the individual’s struggle against society. A number of incomplete versions were written between July and October 1836. The various versions were later edited by Karl Emil Franzos and published posthumously in 1879.  
 +
 
 +
The play was first produced by Max Reinhardt, but only in 1913 at the Residence Theatre in München.
 +
 
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==Translations and adaptations==
 +
 
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The play has been the source for numerous translations and adaptations over the years. Below we list only South African versions.
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''For '''international''' examples, see for instance the [[Wikipedia]] entry on the play at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woyzeck''
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===Translations===
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The incomplete original German text translated into [[Afrikaans]] as ''[[Woyzeck]]'' (based upon the German source material) by [[Johann van Heerden]] in 1981. A copy of Van Heerden's text found in the [[Stellenbosch Drama Department]] archives in 2022.
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===Major adaptations===
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In 1992 the play became the basis of '''''[[Woyzeck on the Highveld]]''''', the first collaborative theatre production undertaken by [[William Kentridge]] and the [[Handspring Puppet Company]]. This is a major adaptation of Büchner’s unfinished play, commenting on the turbulent history in South Africa in the 1980s and the start of the 1990s.
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'''For more details of the South African play, see the entry on ''[[Woyzeck on the Highveld]]'''''.
  
 
== Performance history in South Africa ==
 
== Performance history in South Africa ==
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1969. ''[[Woyzeck]]'' one of the first plays produced by the [[Serpent Players]], was presented by the Port Elizabeth School Feeding Fund and directed by [[Athol Fugard]] with original music composed and arranged by [[Mike Ngxcolo]]. It was staged at the [[Crispin Hall]], Port Elizabeth, from November 25 - 29, 1969. Starring [[Welcome Duru]] (Woyseck), [[Mabel Magada]] (Marie), [[Mike Ngxcolo]] (Boss), [[Simon Hanabe]] (Doctor), [[Norman Ntshinga]] (Boss-Boy), [[Joe Daku]] (Andres) and [[Humphrey Njikelana]] (Barker, the Fool and the Pawnbroker). Also starring [[Constance Duru]], [[Daphne Majodina]], [[Patty-Rose Lungu]], [[Sylvia Maphela]], [[Zacharias Skweyiya]], [[Shark Mguqulwa]], [[George Mnci]], [[Lennox Mzinyati]], [[Joseph Mtoba]] and [[Sylvia Mapela]]. The musicians were: [[Derrick Xujwa]] (Bass), [[James Louw]] (Trumpet), [[Richard Hatana]] (Drums).  By: FUGARD, Athol. 3.12.1981. (AN: MANU-16648) Add to folder.
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1970s: The play became a popular training piece for drama students in the 1970s.
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1973: Staged in English by [[PACT]] in the [[Arena]], adapted and directed by [[Barney Simon]], with [[Marius Weyers]] (Woyzeck), [[Aletta Bezuidenhout]]/[[Jacqui Singer]]/[[Sue Kiel]] (Marie), [[Lindsay Reardon]]/[[Ian Walters]] (The Captain), [[Janice Honeyman]]/[[Maralin Vanrenen]] (Margaret), [[Danny Keogh]] (Drum Major), [[Joey Wishnia]]/[[Lindsay Reardon]] (Barker), [[Joey Wishnia]]/[[Denis Bettesworth]] (Doctor), [[Vanessa Cooke]] (Karl/Donkey), [[Mike Irwin]] (Andres) and [[Ian Walters]] (Preacher). Designed by [[Lara Geffen]].
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1981: The [[Johann van Heerden|Van Heerden]] [[Afrikaans]] translation was staged by the [[University Theatre of Stellenbosch]] in the [[H.B. Thom Theatre]] in September 1981, directed by [[Johann van Heerden]] (assisted by [[Sharon Theron]]), with [[Lochner de Kock]] (Woyzeck), [[Hannes Baard]] (Onderoffisier), [[Neels Engelbrecht]] (Dokter), [[Wilna Engelbrecht]] (Ou Vrou & Ouma), [[Peter Holden]] (Andres), [[Linda Jacobs]] (Margret), [[Ronél Kriel]] (various), [[Adèle Marais]] (various), [[Theresa Marais]] (Käthe), [[Albert Maritz]] (Tamboermajoor), [[Pamela Moag]] (various), [[Elzette Pretorius]] (various), [[Johan Rademan]] (various), [[Anton Smith]] (various), [[Fanie Steenkamp]] (Karl), [[Danielle Stevens]] (Dokter se Vrou), [[Zoettje Strachan]] (various), [[Hélène Truter]] (Marie), [[June van Merch]] (various) and [[Emile van Wyk]] (various). Décor and lighting by [[Emile Aucamp]], costumes by [[Elaine Aucamp]] and music by [[Roelof Temmingh]].
  
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First produced in South Africa by ***.  
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2010: The English version staged  at the [[Baxter Theatre]] in September, directed by [[Lara Foot]], assisted by [[Mncedisi Shabangu]]with [[Zoleka Helesi]], [[Mdu Kweyama]], [[Bongile Mantsai]], [[Thami Mbongo]], [[Apollo Ntshoko]], [[Chuma Sopotela]], [[Rob van Vuuren]] and [[John Ndouma]].
  
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In the early 1960s it was one of the first plays produced by the [[Serpent Players]].
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== Sources ==
  
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[[Barney Simon]] did a version for [[PACT]] in the [[Arena]] in 1973
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woyzeck
  
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The play became a popular training piece for drama students in the 1970s.  
+
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_B%C3%BCchner
  
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==Translations and adaptations==
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[[Port Elizabeth School Feeding Fund]] theatre programme, 1969.
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[[PACT]] theatre programme, 1973.
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[[UTS]] theatre programme, September 1981.
  
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Translated into [[Afrikaans]] (under the title ''[[Woyzeck]]'')  from the German and based upon the German source material,  by [[Johann van Heerden]], for production with students of the Drama Department, Stellenbosch University in 1981. 
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The [[Handspring Puppet Company]] website[http://www.handspringpuppet.co.za/handspring-productions/woyzeck-on-the-highveld/]
  
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The play became the basis of the first collaboration between [[William Kentridge]] and the [[Handspring Puppet Company]] (1992) entitled ''[[Woyzeck on the Highveld]]''. This major adaptation of Büchner’s unfinished play comments on present day South Africa through a multi-layered structure taking place on three levels, namely the rear-projected animation of filmed charcoal drawings and ink-drawn shadow puppets, and in front of the screen, the roughly carved wooden rod puppets, each manipulated by four puppeteers and an actor. The distance between the inner world as projected on the screen and the action on stage forms the thin line between Woyzeck’s twisted dream and reality. It opened at the [[Grahamstown Festival]] in 1992, with [[Adrian Kohler]], [[Basil Jones]],  [[Louis Seboko]], [[Busie Zokufa]] and [[Tale Motsepa]] as puppeteers, played at the [[Market Theatre]] and then toured the world. Later the puppets were sold to the Munich City Museum’s puppet collection. In 2008, they were loaned for a revival for the UNIMA Festival in Perth, Australia, with [[Mncedisi Shabangu]] taking Motsepa’s place.  This also played in South Africa at the [[Baxter Theatre]].
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[[Petru Wessels|Petru]] & [[Carel Trichardt]] theatre programme collection.
  
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Curriculum Vitae of [[Johann van Heerden]] (2011).
  
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Baxter theatre programme, 2008.
  
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== Sources ==
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''[[Cape Times]]'', 1 September 2010.
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[[F.C.L. Bosman|Bosman]], 1928: pp.
 
  
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Go to [[South African Theatre/Bibliography|ESAT Bibliography]]
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Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]
  
 
== Return to ==
 
== Return to ==
  
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Return to [[ESAT Plays 1 W|W]] in Plays I Original SA Plays
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Return to [[PLAYS I: Original SA plays]]
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Return to [[PLAYS II: Foreign plays]]
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Return to [[PLAYS III: Collections]]
  
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Return to [[ESAT Plays 2 W|W]] in Plays II Foreign Plays
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Return to [[PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances]]
  
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Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Plays]]
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Return to [[South_African_Festivals|South African Festivals and Competitions]]
  
 
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
 
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
  
 
Return to [[Main Page]]
 
Return to [[Main Page]]

Latest revision as of 18:30, 29 April 2023

Woyzeck is an unfinished play Georg Büchner (1813-1837) [1].

The original text

A play about a German soldier who murders his mistress. Deals with jealousy, murder and the individual’s struggle against society. A number of incomplete versions were written between July and October 1836. The various versions were later edited by Karl Emil Franzos and published posthumously in 1879.

The play was first produced by Max Reinhardt, but only in 1913 at the Residence Theatre in München.

Translations and adaptations

The play has been the source for numerous translations and adaptations over the years. Below we list only South African versions.

For international examples, see for instance the Wikipedia entry on the play at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woyzeck

Translations

The incomplete original German text translated into Afrikaans as Woyzeck (based upon the German source material) by Johann van Heerden in 1981. A copy of Van Heerden's text found in the Stellenbosch Drama Department archives in 2022.

Major adaptations

In 1992 the play became the basis of Woyzeck on the Highveld, the first collaborative theatre production undertaken by William Kentridge and the Handspring Puppet Company. This is a major adaptation of Büchner’s unfinished play, commenting on the turbulent history in South Africa in the 1980s and the start of the 1990s.

For more details of the South African play, see the entry on Woyzeck on the Highveld.

Performance history in South Africa

1969. Woyzeck one of the first plays produced by the Serpent Players, was presented by the Port Elizabeth School Feeding Fund and directed by Athol Fugard with original music composed and arranged by Mike Ngxcolo. It was staged at the Crispin Hall, Port Elizabeth, from November 25 - 29, 1969. Starring Welcome Duru (Woyseck), Mabel Magada (Marie), Mike Ngxcolo (Boss), Simon Hanabe (Doctor), Norman Ntshinga (Boss-Boy), Joe Daku (Andres) and Humphrey Njikelana (Barker, the Fool and the Pawnbroker). Also starring Constance Duru, Daphne Majodina, Patty-Rose Lungu, Sylvia Maphela, Zacharias Skweyiya, Shark Mguqulwa, George Mnci, Lennox Mzinyati, Joseph Mtoba and Sylvia Mapela. The musicians were: Derrick Xujwa (Bass), James Louw (Trumpet), Richard Hatana (Drums). By: FUGARD, Athol. 3.12.1981. (AN: MANU-16648) Add to folder.

1970s: The play became a popular training piece for drama students in the 1970s.

1973: Staged in English by PACT in the Arena, adapted and directed by Barney Simon, with Marius Weyers (Woyzeck), Aletta Bezuidenhout/Jacqui Singer/Sue Kiel (Marie), Lindsay Reardon/Ian Walters (The Captain), Janice Honeyman/Maralin Vanrenen (Margaret), Danny Keogh (Drum Major), Joey Wishnia/Lindsay Reardon (Barker), Joey Wishnia/Denis Bettesworth (Doctor), Vanessa Cooke (Karl/Donkey), Mike Irwin (Andres) and Ian Walters (Preacher). Designed by Lara Geffen.

1981: The Van Heerden Afrikaans translation was staged by the University Theatre of Stellenbosch in the H.B. Thom Theatre in September 1981, directed by Johann van Heerden (assisted by Sharon Theron), with Lochner de Kock (Woyzeck), Hannes Baard (Onderoffisier), Neels Engelbrecht (Dokter), Wilna Engelbrecht (Ou Vrou & Ouma), Peter Holden (Andres), Linda Jacobs (Margret), Ronél Kriel (various), Adèle Marais (various), Theresa Marais (Käthe), Albert Maritz (Tamboermajoor), Pamela Moag (various), Elzette Pretorius (various), Johan Rademan (various), Anton Smith (various), Fanie Steenkamp (Karl), Danielle Stevens (Dokter se Vrou), Zoettje Strachan (various), Hélène Truter (Marie), June van Merch (various) and Emile van Wyk (various). Décor and lighting by Emile Aucamp, costumes by Elaine Aucamp and music by Roelof Temmingh.

2010: The English version staged at the Baxter Theatre in September, directed by Lara Foot, assisted by Mncedisi Shabanguwith Zoleka Helesi, Mdu Kweyama, Bongile Mantsai, Thami Mbongo, Apollo Ntshoko, Chuma Sopotela, Rob van Vuuren and John Ndouma.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woyzeck

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_B%C3%BCchner

Port Elizabeth School Feeding Fund theatre programme, 1969.

PACT theatre programme, 1973.

UTS theatre programme, September 1981.

The Handspring Puppet Company website[2]

Petru & Carel Trichardt theatre programme collection.

Curriculum Vitae of Johann van Heerden (2011).

Baxter theatre programme, 2008.

Cape Times, 1 September 2010.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays

Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays

Return to PLAYS III: Collections

Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances

Return to South African Festivals and Competitions

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page

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