Piekniek by Dingaan

Piekniek by Dingaan ("Picnic with Dingane") is an Afrikaans political cabaret compiled by Gerrit Schoonhoven, based on a set of text-notes and songs by André Letoit. An aggressive and controversial work, it became a seminal production which interrogated various aspects of South African history, the value systems and fears of the Afrikaners, and the dark future that awaited them if they could not adapt.

It was both compiled and directed by Gerrit Schoonhoven in 1988, apparently based on a set of text-notes and songs by André Letoit (later better known as Koos Kombuis) and featured Johannes Kerkorrel, with young singers and actors from CAPAB, including, Willie Fritz, Gustav Geldenhuys, Marion Holm, Elma van Wijk, Nataniël, Johannes Kerkorrel, Mark Hoeben, Marthinus Basson, as well as musicians Willem Möller and Hanepoot van Tonder.

Originally banned from performance by die Chairman of the CAPAB board (a furore breaking out about the firing of Johan Esterhuizen as Drama Manager, when he spoke out about it to the press), it was performed (directed by Gerrit Schoonhoven) to acclamation at the Grahamstown Festival (where it won the 1988 Fringe Award) and the Baxter Theatre.

Sources

E-mail correspondence from Marion Holm, 11 November 2014.

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