Cobie Court

Cobie Court. (1905-) Actress, director and producer.

Stage name of Jacoba Punt.

Biography

Jacoba (or Cobie as she was known) was born in Pretoria, daughter of Jacob Punt and Cecile Henriette Ruwers.

Training

It was Cobie's mother's wish that her daughter pursue a career on the stage, and (while they were living in The Hague) arranged for her to be trained from the age of 9 along with her sister Cecille by Jacoba van der Pas (a former student of Isadora Duncan).

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Cobie and her sister Cecile Punt (later de Ridder) regularly gave dance and variety performances in Pretoria, performing in English and Dutch.

In 1918, she played the role of "Moonbeam" in a performance of the play Moonshine. This was performed again three times in 1920 at the Opera House.

As an actress, she worked with Stephen Black, playing Helena in Helena's Hope, Ltd.

In 1950, Cobie took over her sister's dance classes as teacher.

In March 1952 for the Van Riebeeck festival in Pretoria, Cobie, together with Ida Bagot-Smith presented an historical performance Aanskou, ons bou 'n Nasie! ("Behold, we build a nation") at the Loftus Versfeld grounds in the form of live tableaux and a depiction of the Great Trek complete with oxen and wagon.

Inspired Pretoria Theatre for Children, 1958 in the Baker Memorial Hall. She produced the first production, Beauty is Fled by Paul Vincent Carroll on 16/17 October 1959 by pupils of the Hatfield Primary School.

Sources

Stephen Gray (ed.). 1984. Stephen Black Three Plays. AD. Donker.

Willem J. Punt. 'My vader: Willem Henry Jacobus Punt' in Pretoriana, No. 111, 1998.

https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/16020/003_p041-060.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

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