Paul du Toit

From ESAT
Jump to navigation Jump to search

There are two South African theatre personalities by this name.

Neither of them to be confused with the South African artist and sculptor Paul du Toit (1965 – 2014).[1]

Paul du Toit (19**-) Actor

Played "Lennox" in the 1950 Afrikaans Macbeth (NTO).


Sources

Leonard Schach 1996. The Flag is Flying: A Very Personal History of Theatre in the Old South Africa. Cape Town: Human and Rousseau: p.62

Paul du Toit (1974-) Actor, singer, director

Biography

Born and raised in Somerset West to a theatrical family (his mother wrote and produced musicals), he started as a child actor in local productions. He completed his Drama Honours degree at Stellenbosch University in 1996. While at university he received voice training in opera from Matthys Strumpher.

After graduating he moved into the professional field, working for Pieter Toerien Productions as well as other independent companies.

Paul moved to Canada in 2020 with his Canadian wife, Clair, and their two sons, where they settled in Vancouver. It is his intention to work in South Africa as often as possible.

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

Stage career

Paul played the role of Lord John and understudied Kevin Smith as John Merrick in The Elephant Man. In 1997 Paul played Cleomenes in The Winter's Tale and Jack in Into the Woods, both for CAPAB. Later he was cast as the lead in Pieter Toerien's production of Doowah Boys 2.

For CAPAB he has appeared in the hit musical Boy Meets Boy.

Other productions include The Parrot Woman (Charles J. Fourie, 199*), Honk!, 2000, Auditioning Angels (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 2003). Also, collaborating with Anton Luitingh, performed in a range of revues, including Rock me Amadeus, Same Time Next Year (2013-4), Hemelruim (2015), Uit die Bloute (2018).

He co-wrote, co-directed and performed in the Offbeat Broadway trilogy of satires (2011) and wrote and directed the award-winning play The Unlikely Secret Agent in 2022 and 2024.

Career in film and television

He became known nationally for his starring role in 9 seasons of the daily drama, Binnelanders and has co-hosted and co-produced the food, travel and lifestyle documentary series Rough or Smooth through his production company Fanagalo Films.

He has worked extensively in many other film and television productions in the North American, British and South African markets.[2] To be expanded

Awards, etc

In 1995 he won the Best Actor Award from the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department for his role as Johnnie in Hello and Goodbye and the following year he was nominated for a Fleur du Cap in the category Most Promising Student.

In 1998 he was a Vita Award Nominee (Best Actor) for the Pieter Toerien Production, Old Wicked Songs.

In 2024 he won the Fleur du Cap Theatre Award as Best Director for The Unlikely Secret Agent.

Sources

The Elephant Man programme notes.

Sunday Independent, 15 June 2014.

Die Burger, 25 March 2022.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1957436/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_du_Toit

https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/rough-or-smooth/1000117759/

https://www.brucedennill.co.za/2022/06/07/theatre-interview-paul-du-toit-the-unlikely-secret-agent-or-holding-the-brush/

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities D

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page