Hélène Botha
Hélène Botha (18**-19**) was a seasoned actress.
Also found as Hélèna Botha and Helene Botha
Biography
She had learned her craft playing in English directed by Prof C.G.S. de Villiers for the Unie-debatsvereniging at Stellenbosch University, when they did works by writers such as Ibsen (A Doll House) and Pirandello (The Idler).
Moving to Pretoria she worked with Stephanie Faure on Afrikaans plays such as Gustav Preller's In die Wagkamer and Die Spookhuis. As a professional actress she took the role of "Nora" in Paul de Groot's 1928-29 production of Geleende Geld (“Borrowed Money”), a Afrikaans translation of Ibsen’s A Doll House), when the young Alida du Toit (later to become famous as Lydia Lindeque) could not go on tour.
She kept a very informative diary of the tour, which was in part published by Danie Botha in Voetligte & Applous! (2006)
Sources
Danie Botha 2006. Voetligte & Applous!: Die Beginjare van die Afrikaanse Beroepstoneel. Pretoria: Protea Boekhuis.
Ludwig Wilhelm Berthold Binge. 1969. Ontwikkeling van die Afrikaanse toneel (1832-1950). Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik.
Jill Fletcher. 1994. The Story of Theatre in South Africa: A Guide to its History from 1780-1930. Cape Town: Vlaeberg.
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