Anthony Farmer
(1953-2006) Actor, stage and set designer, director and entrepreneur.
Contents
Biography
Anthony Farmer was born in Leamington Spa in England, and from an early age did a lot of acting in his early youth. After school, he trained as a draughtsman and engineer. During the 2nd World War, he worked on aircraft engine manufacturing, which enabled him to apply his aptitude for designing and creating.
After the war ended, Anthony worked in the British Film Industry, where his talents were used in the set construction department at the Rank Organisation studios. He later studied acting and production, during which time his enormous talent for stage design came to the fore. He never had any formal training but his talents were recognised and he was asked to work on the set design for the film of Great Expectations which starred John Mills, Martita Hunt and Jean Simmons. Later when he went to work in the West End where he stage managed the hit show Fifty Glorious Years starring Anna Neagle as Queen Victoria.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
He first came to South Africa as part of the Ivor Novello company with Perchance to Dream (1947). In 1953, he was stage manager, understudy and small-part player in Ivor Novello's King's Rhapsody. Whilst he was here, he was interviewed by the Johannesburg Repertory Company to take the position of Resident Director. They staged their plays at the Reps Theatre in Braamfontein (later called the Alexander).
He returned in January 1954 to work with the Johannesburg REPS and the Reps turned fully professional in 1954 with Farmer in charge. In 1956 he returned to England for a while, after his father fell ill, cutting short his contract with the Johannesburg REPS. On his return he went into a flourishing new phase of his career as a freelance practitioner, working for the many companies, including the Johannesburg REPS, East Rand Theatre Club, Children's Theatre, Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society, Adam Leslie, Brian Brooke.
Over the years Farmer was greatly involved with the industry, e.g. an active founding member of the South African Association of Theatre Managements for the Johannesburg REPS (from 1956) and the South African Institute of Theatre Technology (1969).
In 1964, Anthony, as Managing Director of International Advertising, was asked to co-ordinate the visit of Paris couturier, Pierre Balmain in association with Derber Furs.
The peak of his career was in 1979, when Sol Kerzner asked him to help design the new theatre at Sun City which was due to open in December of that year. During the next few years with shows like Sun City Extravaganza, Flight of Fantasy, Voila amongst many others, he achieved world recognition for his creative talent. He was instrumental for the set design for the first Miss World to be staged at the Sun City Superbowl.
As an actor
He appeared with the Ivor Novello Company in Perchance to Dream (1947), and in 1953, he was stage manager, understudy and small-part player in Ivor Novello's King's Rhapsody.
As a designer
As designer only, his work includes:
1955: I Capture the Castle (Johannesburg Reps)
1958: Janus (Brooke Theatre)
1961: The Women (Kushlick-Gluckman)
1962: Wait a Minim! (Leon Gluckman)
1968: La Traviata (PACT Opera)
1969: Cabaret (Taubie Kushlick)
1970: West Side Story (Academy)
1971: Man of La Mancha (JODS)
1976: Comedians (The Company)
1977: Absurd Person Singular (The Company)
1992: A Touch of Webber...A Taste of Rice (Richard Loring)
1999: African Footprint (Richard Loring)
Izidumo (Muzworks SA, date unknown)
As theatre designer
He designed the theatre and the opening production at Sol Kerzner’s Sun City (1979).
In circa 1984, he designed an intimate dinner theatre, La Parisienne, in the place of the old Siegfried Mynhardt Theatre which had been ravaged by fire.
He converted the Globe Theatre at Gold Reef City into a supper club venue.
He redesigned the Alhambra Theatre for Pieter Toerien in 1991.
As a director/designer
Farmer designed the sets for the majority of the productions he himself directed.
1954: Figure of Fun (Johannesburg Reps)
1954: Witness for the Prosecution (Johannesburg Reps)
1955: My Three Angels (Johannesburg Reps)
1955: The Wooden Dish (Johannesburg Reps)
1955: Spider's Web (Johannesburg Reps)
1955: Dear Charles (Johannesburg Reps)
1955: Bus Stop (Johannesburg Reps)
1955: Larger than Life (Johannesburg Reps)
1956: Dead on Nine (Johannesburg Reps)
1956: The Remarkable Mr Pennypacker (Johannesburg Reps)
1957: Sextet (Anthony Farmer Productions)
1957: Bless the Bride (JODS)
1957: Peter Pan (Children's Theatre)
1958: Odd Man In (Anthony Farmer Productions)
1958/1959: Ever Since Eve (Anthony Farmer Productions)
1960: The Merry Widow (JODS)
1960: Spring Quartet (JODS)
1961: The Dancing Years (JODS)
1961: Naughty Marietta (JODS)
1961: Beauty and the Beast (Children's Theatre)
1962: The Most Happy Fella (JODS)
1964: The Moulin Rouge Show (for ACT at the Empire Theatre)
1964: The Merry Widow (JODS)
1965: Guys and Dolls (JODS)
1966: Around the World in 80 Days (JODS)
1966: Guys and Dolls (JODS)
1967: Music Hall Revue (Adam Leslie)
1968: Eureka (Civic Theatre)
1975: The Great Waltz (PACT Opera)
1977: A Night to Remember (the opening production of the Alhambra Theatre, now owned by JODS, on 17 April 1977).
1978: New Faces of 1978 (JODS), with choreography by Wendy de la Harpe at the Alhambra Theatre in 1978.
1979: The opening production of the Sun City Theatre, with choreography by Nick Navarro, costume design by Neels Hansen and Adolpho Waitzman leading the musical team. It opened on the 15 December 1979.
1981: Applause (an opening production for the Pretoria State Theatre)
As playwright/show-maker
He co-wrote Sextet, a South African revue, with music by Ralph Trewhela and additional material by Adam Leslie (1957).
He co-wrote, with Ken Hooper, the book for the musical, Ever Since Eve, with music and lyrics by Ralph Trewhela (1958).
He joined forces with Adam Leslie and composer Ralph Trewhela to create the satirical revue I Spy (1959).
Together with Nick Navarro and Adolpho Waitzman he created the extravaganza called Stars at the Sun City Theatre in 1984.
As producer - Anthony Farmer Productions
1957: Sextet (Anthony Farmer Productions)
1958: Odd Man In Anthony Farmer Productions
1958/1959: Ever Since Eve Anthony Farmer Productions (in association with Howard Hooper (Pty) Ltd)
Legacy
This stalwart of the performing arts passed away in 2006, but since the inception of The Anthony Farmer Trust, his legacy continues. In 2016 Oakfields College was granted the right to use the Anthony Farmer Trust as a bursary programme for underprivileged students wishing to enter the performing arts field. With this news, the Pretoria Campus of Oakfields College renamed their library in his honour.
Sources
Obituary: Beeld 26 May 2006.
Du Toit, 1988
Tucker, 1997
Percy Tucker. 'Who was Anthony Farmer?' https://www.iloveza.com/blogs/news/the-anthony-farmer-oakfields-college-trust
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