Des Lindberg

Des Lindberg (born 1941). Singer, performer, theatre entrepreneur.

Training

He obtained a B.A from Wits, also qualified in lighting and stage design, obtained a diploma in Salzburg.

Biography

Born in Johannesburg, educated at St. Johns and Wits. (BA English, Zulu, African Admin.) Diploma in Lighting & Stage Design from Salzburg. The 60's was Folk Songs and coffee bars, and Des led the scene at the Troubadour in Doornfontein.

Des met and married Dawn Silver. (See further the entries on Dawn Lindberg and Des and Dawn.) An active member of the South African Association of Theatrical Managements, he became its chairman in 1982.

He likes cricket, fishing, and red wine.

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

Produced and performed in Godspell in 1973 and 1974.

Produced Pippin in 1975. Was the Narrator in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1980.

Scripted Lennon in 1981 which was performed at the Arena Bistro and the Baxter Theatre.

He starred in Watermelons in 1962. He was contracted by Taubie Kushlick, the producer, to write extra music and lyrics, for The Wizard of Oz, her Children's Theatre production. while Dawn Silver did choreography. Keith Blundell was the musical director, Nina Campbell-Quine did décor, while Heather MacDonald-Rouse did costumes. It was staged at the Wits Great Hall in 1965. Together with Dawn they travelled for three years with their show Folk on Trek from 1965. Later created the company Folk On Trek Productions. The Lindbergs joined Robert Kirby in his show 8 Birds at the Labia Theatre in 1970. They helped convert the Carlton Cinema in Von Weilligh Street into a small theatre which opened with Birds of a Feather. They staged Godspell, directed by Dawn at the Maseru Holiday Inn in Lesotho from 30 September 1973 to 17 February 1974. On 30 September 1974 they returned from tour to stage a run at the Lake Theatre in Parkview. Des and Dawn Lindberg staged Pippin with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and direction, choreography and design by Des starring Hal Watters, Sammy Brown, Jo-Ann Pezzarro, Bess Finney, Taliep Petersen, Sophia Foster, Robin Dolton and Andre Hattingh at His Majesty's Theatre in 1975.

The Lindbergs opened their production of the musical The Black Mikado at the Diepkloof Hall in Soweto on 13 May 1976. It went on to play in Coronationville and at the Loreto Convent in Pretoria, Pietersburg, Pietermaritzburg and Durban’s Lyric Theatre before opening at the [[Brooke Theatre}Brooke]] on 29 July. They formed a club called the South African Living Theatre (SALT) to get around the governments opposition to their multi-racial company. They also revived Godspell circa 1976. Together with Dawn he staged Jeremy Taylor’s Back in Town, and The Importance of Being Irish, directed by Nicholas Amer with Thom Delaney at the Arena in 1979. Back in Town went on to play at the Alhambra Theatre. Together with Dawn he staged The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas starring Victor Melleney, Judy Page and Annabel Linder under direction by Dawn at His Majesty's Theatre in 1979. Des and Dawn produced I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It On the Road directed by Malcolm Purkey and starring Bruce Millar and Dawn at the Arena Bistro Theatre in 1980. Des and Dawn presented Lennon with Dawn directing this tribute starring Bruce Millar, Gay Lambert, Colin Shapiro and Colin Shamley at the Arena Bistro in 1981.

The Lindbergs directed a guitar festival called Guitars from Africa at the Civic Theatre in 1981. He tooke over from Michal Grobbelaar as chairman of the SAATM in 1982 and remained the chairman until they disbanded. He was elected chairman of Theatre Managements of South Africa in 1994. Together with Dawn he again directed Godspell starring Sam Marais at the Civic for PACT in May 1986. The Lindbergs presented When I Was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout, directed by Dawn at the Adcock-Ingram Auditorium in July 1987. Together with PACT the Lindbergs staged King Afrika at the Standard Bank Arena in 1988. In conjunction with the Civic the Lindbergs produced a revival of Godspell in 1994.

Sources

SACD 1973; 1974; 1975/76; 1981/82.

Various entries in the NELM catalogue.

Tucker, 1997.

Schwartz, 1988, De Beer, 1995, Joyce, 1999.

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