Casper de Vries
Casper de Vries. (1969-) Actor, writer, cabaret-artist and comedian.
Contents
Biography
Youth
Casper is of Dutch stock. He went to Silverton Primary and High School there. He wrote his first piece (Een Koekoek in 'n Hoendernes = "A Cuckoo in a Chicken's Nest") while still at school.
Training
He studied drama at the Stellenbosch University Drama Department.
Career
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
He was discovered as comic genius when performing in Hennie Aucamp’s cabaret’s (notably Slegs vir Almal) and other presentations.
Casper went on to achieve fame for his one-man, stand-up style shows, with their crude and uninhibited approach, which he usually wrote and performed himself, relying on his talent for mimicry, his freeflowing use of rude language and his diminutive size for laughs. Initially he worked with a number of other artists on his shows (e.g. Didi Kriel, Trevor Muller, Alan Hunter, Lolly Sonmez, Eppie Angeleri), but between 1992-1997 with Andrew Roos exclusively.
Made his name with the cabaret Hallo Suid-Afrika, his examination project for the Drama Department at Stellenbosch in 1986, later named Hallo Suid-Afrika/ Hello South Africa and performed widely in the country with a cast that included himself, Johan Engelbrecht, Elsabé Zietsman, June van Merch and Didi Kriel.
This was rapidly followed by i.a. AU (1987), Onemanshows/ Eenmanwys (1989), Ziets en De Vries (1990/91), Small Talks (1992/93), Gemini (1994), Ontvries ("Unfrozen" - 1995/1996), WalgWors '97! (lit. "Retch Sausage '97!" - 1997), WETTER (1998), TOET & TAAL (1999), laatdaarLAGwees ("let there be laughter" - 2000), DiMensie (A play on the Afrikaans for "dimension" and "the little person" - 2001/2002), Laat daar lag wees (2002) and Die HITS (2002-2003).
Also performed as actor in i.a. Die Van Aardes van Grootoor (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1992), Die Fledermaus (1993), Steve en Vriende (Steve Hofmeyr and other singers, 1997).
He wrote, composed and directed the cabaret Hello South Africa/Hallo Suid-Afrika starring himself, Johan Engelbrecht, Elsabé Zietsman, June van Merch and Didi Kriel at the Windybrow Theatre circa 1986. His one-man show Small Talks was staged at the Richard Haines Theatre in December 1992. Snaaks Genoeg, at Caesar's, Gauteng, 2004.
He made some appearances in films and on television, from 200* hosting his own late-night TV chat show 'Casper Rasper' ("Casper Grater"). In 2024 he performed in Tollie Parton and Greetje Appelmoes at the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees with Wynand Kotze.
Awards, etc
Won the Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Most Promising Student in 1986.
The Lifetime Achiever Recipientfrom Comicschoice.
Nominated Vita Award (Free State region) 1999 for best comedian and best costume design for his show Casper de Vries.
Sources
Tucker, 1997.
Oggendblad, 6 May 2004.
Die Burger, 4 October 2024.
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