Gaynor Young

Gaynor Young (b. 1961) is an actress.

Biography

Gaynor (originally Katherine) Young was born on 30 July 1961 in Nakuru, Kenya, where her father was with the local office of African Explosives. The family moved back to South Africa when he was transferred to Johannesburg. She attended Durban Girls College as a boarder and then studied drama at University of Natal in Durban. As a student she acted in productions like Andorra (by Max Frisch), the musicals Fiddler on the Roof (as Hodel), Oliver! (as Nancy) and Anne of Green Gables. For the latter she was awarded the Durban Critics Circle prize for the most promising newcomer. After some time in London, where she attended the Desmond Jones School of Mime, she acted in On the Razzle for NAPAC and in Pieter Scholtz’s production of The Butterfingers Angel at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.

Between 1985 and 1989 she acted in a range of plays in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, including Janet Suzman’s production of Othello at the Market Theatre, in which she played Bianca, a role she repeated in the television version. She also appeared in Fred Abrahamse’s version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the same venue, as well as in Private Lives at the Baxter Theatre. For television she acted in Playing with Fire (Alan Nathanson/1986) and at one stage co-hosted the children’s series Harry’s House. With Jonathan Rands she acted in the film Big Game (Chris du Toit/1988).

Towards the end of 1989 she was understudying the role of Guinevere in the musical Camelot at the State Theatre for PACT and when Kate Normington fell ill, she took the part. Towards the end of the first act of the matinee on 9 December she exited for a quick change during a blackout and stepped into a void, plummeting eighteen metres down an unguarded lift shaft. She spent some time in a coma and her injuries were such that she lost much of her hearing and became partially blind. The accident resulted in an official enquiry and a court case, during which the lack of technical rehearsals for understudies became a major issue, As a consequence more stringent safety regulations were introduced.

After a lengthy recuperation and extensive physical therapy she regained some of her independence and began work on a one-woman theatrical work based on her experiences. Entitled My Plunge to Fame, it was directed by Maralin Vanrenen and from April 1994 she took it to various centres, including the Grahamstown Festival. For her script she was awarded the FNB Natal Vita Award and in 2000 it became the title of her autobiography. The workshopped play During the Fall (1990), created by her friend Gina Benjamin, was inspired by her tragic accident.