Die Francois Toerien Show

Die Francois Toerien Show by Francois Toerien (1973-)

Die Francois Toerien Show is a series of Afrikaans South African sketch comedy revues created, written and cast by Francois Toerien, presenting a fast-paced sequence of comic characters and skits in the style of a television variety show. Staged annually from 2003, principally at the Klein Libertas Teater in Stellenbosch and at various festival venues, the numbered shows ran to at least an eighth instalment in 2012, and the brand was later revived as Die Francois Toerien Show +.

The series

Created, written and cast by Francois Toerien.* Publication details have not been traced.* The revue shares its title with a kykNET television sketch comedy series, also created and written by Toerien, which was filmed in late 2011 and launched in 2012, screening a run of episodes from March 2012 with guest artists including Valiant Swart.

Performance history in South Africa

2003-2006: The first four shows (numbers 1 to 4) were performed at the Klein Libertas Teater in Stellenbosch annually between 2003 and 2006. In 2006 the show was also performed at the Cape Town Festival.

2007-2011: Further shows in the series followed, including a fifth show.* Full dates, venues and casts for the fifth, sixth and seventh shows have not been traced.*

2012: Die Francois Toerien Show 8, the eighth in the series, was performed at the US Woordfees, Stellenbosch, in the Klein Libertas Teater, on 2, 3, 4 and 7 March, on the Sanlam Dramafees programme. Directed by Juanita Swanepoel, with a cast of Francois Toerien, Martelize Kolver, Brendon Daniels, Esther von Waltsleben and Altan Ungerer. Age restriction: no under-14s.

2024: The brand was revived as Die Francois Toerien Show +, a Toyota US Woordfees production with a run made possible by the KKNK. A topical satire on load-shedding, water shortages and Western Cape semigration, it was performed at the Toyota US Woordfees, Stellenbosch (at Rhenish Girls' High, 10 and 12 October), and at the KKNK. Set design was by Francois Toerien and Gaerin Hauptfleisch, with a cast of Francois Toerien, Esther von Waltsleben, Lorraine Burger, Dean-John Smith, Karli Heine, Hendrik Nieuwoudt, Devonecia Swartz and Kabous Meiring (guest artist).* A similar production may have run at the Toyota US Woordfees in 2023.*