Gert Garries – 'n Baaisiekel Babelas

Gert Garries – 'n Baaisiekel Babelas ("Gert Garries - a bicycle hangover") is a play by Pieter Fourie (1940-2021)

The original text

Based on two characters and a variety of scenes from the controversial yet acclaimed satirical novel Magersfontein, O Magersfontein by Fourie's mentor and friend Etienne Leroux (pen name of Stephen le Roux), the idea of a play was planted in Fourie's imagination during a conversation with Leroux shortly before the latter's death in 1989, but only came to fruition in 2002. Billed as "'n Baldadige reaksie op Magersfontein, O Magersfontein!" ("a boisterous response to Magersfontein, O Magersfontein!") the play is a surrealist comedy telling of the travails and triumphs of the "coloured" farm worker Gert Garries and Le Grange, the white policeman.

It was first performed by Rooderandt Produksies at the KKNK in 2002, mostly to good audiences and positive criticism, except in Cape Town where it was not well supported.

The text was never published.

A possible sequel

Fourie for a while contemplated a sequel, to be called Gert Garries en die Magersfontein Baaiskoup ("Gert Garries and the Magersfontein bioscope"), but in view of some negative criticism for the production, he never did.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

2002: Produced by Rooderandt Produksies, at the KKNK in April, directed by Marthinus Basson with Gaerin Hauptfleisch as Assistant director and stage manager. The cast included Anthony Wilson and Dawid Minnaar. It opened in the SANW-ouditorium in Oudtshoorn on the 30th of March.

2002: Performed at the Volksblad Fees in Bloemfontein in July

2002: Performed at the Hermanus Whale Festival in Hermanus in September

2002: Performed at the Aardklop festival in Potchefstroom in October.

2002: Performed at Artscape, Cape Town in October.

2003: Performed at a school reunion of the Hoërskool M.T. Steyn in Phillipolis in April, attended by the author.

Sources

Nico Luwes 2010. Pieter Fourie (1940-) se bydrae as Afrikaanse dramaturg en kunsbestuurder: 1965-2010. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Bloemfontein: University of the Free State, pp.558-566 [1]

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