Difference between revisions of "Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom"

From ESAT
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 11: Line 11:
  
 
==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
 
==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
 +
As playwright, titles include: ''[[Not With My Gun]]'' co-written with Aubrey Sekhabi (1998), ''[[Urban Reality]]'' (1998), ''[[Cards]]'', a re-writing of [[Mothusi Mokoto]]’s script (2002 & 2004), ''[[Relativity: Township Stories]]'' (2005), ''[[Telling Stories]]''(2007), ''[[Interracial]]'' co-written with Aubrey Sekhabi (2007), ''[[Maru]]'', an adaptation of the [[Bessie Head]] novel (2008), ''[[Foreplay]]'' ,an adaptation of [[Arthur Schnitzler]]’s ''Der Reigen/La Ronde'' (2008) and ''[[Welcome to Rocksburg]]'' (2009).
  
  
  
 +
+ + + + + + +
 +
He began his career as a writer for stage and television and continues to juggle his theatre work with writing for television in programs like Generations and Zone 14. His other TV writing credits include “Young Vision”(1994), “Suburban Bliss”(1995), “Isidingo”(2000), “Soul City”(2000), “Orlando”(2001), “Mponeng” (2005), and, “Healside” (2005).
  
  
 +
 +
He has directed theatre plays like “Urban Reality” (1998); “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (2001), a Shakespearean comedy; “King Lear” (2002), a Shakespearian tragedy; “Cards” (2002 – 2008); “Hamlet” (2003), a Shakespearian tragedy; “Julius Caesar” (2003), “In this life” (2004), which he later re-directed on a professional scale and re-titled as “Relativity” (2005) and “Township Stories” (2006) when it was on a 3 months UK tour; “Telling Stories” (2007); “Interracial” (2007); “Maru”(2008); “Foreplay” (2008), an adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s “Der Reigen” / “La Ronde”; and, “Welcome To Rocksburg” (2009). He has also ventured into the world of Television directing, helming three (3) episodes in the second 39 episodes season of the Medical TV Drama, “Hillside”.
  
 
== Awards, etc ==
 
== Awards, etc ==

Revision as of 13:58, 16 March 2014

GROOTBOOM, Mpumelelo Paul "Cosmo" (1975-), writer and director for stage and television.

Biography

Born in 1975 in Meadowlands, Soweto.

Training

After school studied medicine and the arts at University of Witwatersrand. Did not graduate. While at university met Percy Langa, playwright and television director and producer, who taught him to write film scripts. While under Langa’s wing, he was introduced to John Rogers, who trained him to write for television. His next mentor was Barney Simon.

Career

Was appointed to the position of Development Officer at the State Theatre in 2002.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

As playwright, titles include: Not With My Gun co-written with Aubrey Sekhabi (1998), Urban Reality (1998), Cards, a re-writing of Mothusi Mokoto’s script (2002 & 2004), Relativity: Township Stories (2005), Telling Stories(2007), Interracial co-written with Aubrey Sekhabi (2007), Maru, an adaptation of the Bessie Head novel (2008), Foreplay ,an adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s Der Reigen/La Ronde (2008) and Welcome to Rocksburg (2009).


+ + + + + + + He began his career as a writer for stage and television and continues to juggle his theatre work with writing for television in programs like Generations and Zone 14. His other TV writing credits include “Young Vision”(1994), “Suburban Bliss”(1995), “Isidingo”(2000), “Soul City”(2000), “Orlando”(2001), “Mponeng” (2005), and, “Healside” (2005).


He has directed theatre plays like “Urban Reality” (1998); “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (2001), a Shakespearean comedy; “King Lear” (2002), a Shakespearian tragedy; “Cards” (2002 – 2008); “Hamlet” (2003), a Shakespearian tragedy; “Julius Caesar” (2003), “In this life” (2004), which he later re-directed on a professional scale and re-titled as “Relativity” (2005) and “Township Stories” (2006) when it was on a 3 months UK tour; “Telling Stories” (2007); “Interracial” (2007); “Maru”(2008); “Foreplay” (2008), an adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s “Der Reigen” / “La Ronde”; and, “Welcome To Rocksburg” (2009). He has also ventured into the world of Television directing, helming three (3) episodes in the second 39 episodes season of the Medical TV Drama, “Hillside”.

Awards, etc

Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Drama (2005). Naledi Award for Best Director, for Relativity : Township Stories (2006). Herald Angel Award for Best Fringe Production at the Edinburgh Theatre Festival (2006). Naledi Award for Best Director, for Foreplay (2009). Naledi Award for Best Script, for Rivonia Trial, co-written with Aubrey Sekhabi and Mandla Dube (2012).

Sources

http://paulgrootboom.com/

http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/mpumelelo-paul-cosmo-grootboom

Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities N

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page