Bottelnek breek bek
bottelnek breek bek by Dianne du Toit Albertze (19**-)
bottelnek breek bek is an Afrikaans stage work drawn by the author from her own novel of the same title. It follows Dora, a transgender woman from the Northern Cape, as she looks for a home and a place to belong in Cape Town, and finds strength and sisterhood among the women around her. It is performed substantially in Gayle, the argot developed among gay and transgender speakers, with passages in Kaaps, Sabela (prison argot) and Northern Cape Afrikaans.
Contents
The original text
The source novel, bottelnek breek bek, was published by Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 2022 (ISBN 9780798182669). Narrated in turn by eight characters, it follows Daantjie Boonzaier of the Northern Cape, who becomes Dora. It has been described as the first Afrikaans novel written in Gayle and as the first Afrikaans trans novel, and in 2023 was shortlisted for both the Jan Rabie-Rapport Prize and the UJ Debut Prize.
Translations and adaptations
The stage version was commissioned and produced by Marlene le Roux for the Artscape Women's Humanity Festival in 2026. Accounts of it differ: some describe a stage adaptation of the novel, while the festival's own material presents it as a launch of the book featuring live extracts performed by two actors. No published text of the stage version has been traced*.
Performance history in South Africa
2026: Performed at Artscape, Cape Town, 6-9 August, as part of the twentieth Artscape Women's Humanity Festival (1-31 August, under the theme "A Place For All"), which coincided with Artscape's 55th anniversary and the seventieth commemoration of the 1956 Women's March. Directed by Basil Appollis and produced by Marlene le Roux, with Dianne du Toit Albertze and Riaan Visman performing. Each performance was followed by a discussion with the audience.
Sources
'Artscape Women's Humanity Festival 2026 returns', thisability.co.za, 25 June 2026.
'Artscape's 2026 Women's Humanity Festival lineup revealed', Bizcommunity, 2026.
'What's on in Cape Town in August 2026', Cape Town Tourism.
Croeser, Chantelle. 2022. Review of bottelnek breek bek, Tydskrif vir Letterkunde.
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