Ampie

Ampie is a dramatization of his own novel by Jochem van Bruggen (1881–1957)

The original novel

The novel Ampie: die natuurkind ("Ampie: nature's child", usually referred to simply as Ampie) was first published in 1924 in Amsterdam by Swets & Zeitlinger. An influential novel about the depression era, it received the prestigious Hertzog Prize for Prose in 1925.

It was followed by a sequel, Ampie: die meisiekind ("Ampie: the girl"), in 1928, also awarded the Hertzog Prize for prose.

The original playtext

In 1930 Van Bruggen adapted his two novels for the stage as Ampie, with the help of director Stephanie Fauré. First performed and published as Ampie: toneelspel in drie bedrywe by J.L. van Schaik publishers in 1930.

Translations and adaptations

Ampie Oppie Diekens ("Ampie on the diggings"), is a stage play with music, devised and adapted as a sequel to Van Bruggen's original play Ampie by Francois Swart from the writings of Jochem van Bruggen and presented by PACT in the Alexander Theatre and the Breytenbach Theatre in 1972. Sadly, the production itself appears to have failed at the time, judged by the doom-ridden and rather scathing reviews on offer from the majority of the Pretoria and Johannesburg critics and the negative response of the general public, who apparently saw it as being too irreverent thematically (given the lead character's iconic status in Afrikaans literature) and also ineffective as a musical play.

Another version, entitled Ampie, was devised by Schalk W. Jacobsz for production in 1982.

(There is mention in sources of something called Ampie II - possibly a later - more informal - title referring to Ampie Oppie Diekens.)

Performance history in South Africa

1930: First produced as Ampie by André Huguenet and directed by Stephanie Faure in 1930, with Huguenet as the poor white young man "Ampie" and Lydia Lindeque. It opened for a two-day run in the Pretoria Opera House on 18 April 1930 and then toured. It was immediately hailed as a milestone in Afrikaans culture, though not all liked the details of the production. Huguenet used the same play a number of times to save his career (e.g 1932, 1941). Van Bruggen also did a production with his family and toured it (193*?),

1970: Produced as Ampie by TRUK Toneel (PACT Drama) in 1970, directed by François Swart, with Marius Weyers as "Ampie". Other cast members were Laurie van der Merwe, Tine Balder (Grieta Booysen), Sandra Prinsloo (Annekie), Schalk Jacobsz, Annette Engelbrecht (Tant Annie/Hester Stander), Katinka Heyns, David van der Merwe, Don Lamprecht (Flip Stander), Louis van Niekerk (Dawid Nortjé), Max Curtis, Jacqueline Cook. Decor designed by Schalk Jacobsz.