Abduragman Adams

Abduragman Adams (19**-)

Actor for stage, television and film, director, scriptwriter and drama lecturer. Also known as Abdu Adams and Abduraghmaan Adams.

Biography

Born and raised in Cape Town. He first trained and worked as a nurse before turning to the performing arts, and has been active in the industry since the 1990s.

Training

Studied for a B.Dram degree at the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department.

Career

He has worked across stage, television and film, alternating between freelance acting and directing and periods of lecturing.

As teacher

Became a lecturer in the Drama Department at the University of Stellenbosch in 199*.* He left teaching for a freelance career in 2003, returned to Stellenbosch in 2010, and left again in 2013. He later lectured in Live Performance at AFDA in Cape Town, and founded the Saturday Varsity Film Academy, which offers acting masterclasses for emerging screen and stage performers.

As director

Skrêmbuild Eggs vir Nasiebrou — a satirical prose-and-verse voice programme drawing on Afrikaans writing in its various dialects and forms — a commissioned work for the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Oudtshoorn, in 1999 and 2000.

Kap Án (co-written with Riaan Visman), staged at the US Woordfees, Stellenbosch, in 2010.

As actor

On stage: among his most notable performances have been the lead in Brecht's Baal in the Brecht centenary year (1998) for the University of Stellenbosch; a version of Report to an Academy (Grahamstown Festival, 1999?*); Roadkill/Padkos (Malan Steyn); Rooikôppetjie* (Spier, 2001); Naelstring / Honour thy mother, Fuck thy Father (Pieter Fourie; KKNK, Oudtshoorn, and Grahamstown Festival, 2001); Bok-bok staan styf (Malan Steyn; KKNK, 2002); Amadeus (Baxter, 2006); Gideon van Eeden's Boetman is Bedônit (KKNK and Aardklop, 2007); Let's Mix It (2008-9); Some Like It Vrot (2012); Coconuts and Marulas; and As die See Byt, written by Christo Davids.

On television: Known Gods (2005), Heartlines (2006), Rugby Motors (2008) and Die Boland Moorde (kykNET, 2013); a recurring role as David Abrahams in 7de Laan; Ian October in the kykNET soap opera Suidooster (2015-present), the role for which he is best known; Projek Dina (2020), Unseen (Netflix, 2023) and Kelders van Geheime (2024).

On film: Four Corners (Ian Gabriel, 2013), Noem My Skollie (Daryne Joshua, 2016), Indemnity (2021), The Umbrella Men (2022) and its sequel The Umbrella Men: Escape from Robben Island (2023), Free State (2023) and Rust Road (2024).

Writer

Co-wrote Let's Mix It (2008-9) with Gary Naidoo, and Kap Án (2010) with Riaan Visman.

Awards

1997: Won the André Huguenet Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role.*

1998: Nominated for a Fleur du Cap Most Promising Student award for his work at the University of Stellenbosch.

2012: Nominated for a Fleur du Cap award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, for Some Like It Vrot.

2017: Won the South African Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film, for Noem My Skollie. Further SAFTA nominations followed for his television work in Melody and his film role in Indemnity.*

2022: Received a Ministerial Award at the Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards for his contribution to mentoring emerging actors.

Sources

'Abduragman Adams', TVSA. https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=610

'Abduragman Adams - CV', Stella Talent.

'Afda lecturer Abduragman Adams receives Ministerial Award', Bizcommunity.

'Noem My Skollie: Call Me Thief (2016) - Awards', IMDb.

'Woordfees 2010: Volledige program', LitNet, 18 January 2010.

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