View source for The Royal Hunt of the Sun

'''''The Royal Hunt of the Sun''''' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Hunt_of_the_Sun] is a play by [[Peter Shaffer]](1926-2016)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Shaffer].

Also found as ''[[Royal Hunt of the Sun]]''


== The original text ==


The play that dramatizes the relation of two worlds entering in a conflict by portraying two characters: [[Atahuallpa]] Inca [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atahualpa] and [[Francisco Pizarro]] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Pizarro]. The main action takes place in the Inca Empire from June 1529 to August 1533.

First performed by the National Theatre at the Chichester Festival and at the Old Vic in 1964.

==Translations and adaptations==

== Performance history in South Africa ==

1969/70: Staged by [[UCT]] in the [[Little Theatre]] in Cape Town from December 1969 to January 1970, directed by [[Mavis Taylor]], starring [[Michael Atkinson]] as (Atahuallpa) and [[Ronald France]] as (Francisco Pizarro), with [[Michael Repham]] (Hernando), [[Allan Hopf]] (Miguel), [[Johan van Jaarsveld]] (De Candia), [[Duncan McBarnett]] (Diego), [[Bill Jervis]] (Old Martin), [[Christopher Prophet]] (Young Martin), [[Jos Gerson]] (Salinas), [[Denis Bettesworth]] (Rodas), [[Ian A. Peters]] (Vasca), [[Arnold Blumer]] (Domingo), [[Theunis Huisamen]] (Juan), [[Johan Bernard]] (Pedro), [[Limpie Basson]] (Fray Vincente), [[Norman Sergeant]] (Fray Marcos), [[Marko van der Colff]] (Villac Umu), [[Paul Slabolepszy]] (Challcuchima), [[Farouk Valley-Omar]] (A Chieftain), [[Vernon Beamish]] (Headman), [[David Fanning]] (Felipillo), [[Johann van Heerden]] (Manco), [[Aletta Bezuidenhout]] (Initi) and [[Dina Falkson]] (Oello). Costumes and props by [[Stephen Andrews]], set designed by [[Mavis Taylor]], lighting by [[Pip Marshall]], movement by [[Tessa Marwick]] and musical direction by [[Michael Tuffin]]. 

1981: Staged during the opening season of the [[Pretoria State Theatre]], directed by [[Leonard Schach]],  starring [[Marius Weyers]] as (Atahuallpa) and [[Keith Grenville]] as (Francisco Pizarro), with [[David Horner]] (Hernando), [[Nigel Vermaas]] (Miguel), [[Ian Steadman]] (De Candia), [[Laurence Lurie]] (Diego), [[Michael McCabe]] (Martin Ruiz), [[Michael Maxwell]] (Young Martin), [[James Borthwick]] (Salinas), [[Ronald Wallace]] (Rodas), [[Richard Cox]] (Vasca), [[Michael Richard]] (Domingo), [[Vaughan Girdlestone]] (Juan), [[Alan Swerdlow]] (Pedro), [[Bill Flynn]] (Fray Vincente), [[John Hussey]] (Fray Marcos), [[Anthony James]] (Villac Umu), [[Kritch Krook]] (Challcuchima), [[Richard Carlsson]] (A Chieftain), [[Murray Woodfield]] (Headman), [[Marcel van Heerden]] (Felipillo), [[Andre Jacobs]] (Manco), [[Pamela Gien]] (Inti Coussi), [[Rika Sennett]] (Oello) and others. The production designer [[Chris van den Berg]], music and sound effects by [[Marc Wilkinson]], lighting by [[Jannie Swanepoel]] and movement by [[Fred Hagemann]].

1988: Produced and directed by [[Nicholas Ellenbogen]] at the [[Grahamstown Festival]] 1988, starring [[Pieter Scholtz]] as Pizarro and [[Eckard Rabe]] as Atahuallpa. Some other members of the large cast were [[Stephen Gurney]], [[James Irwin]], [[Frantz Dobrowsky]], [[David Muller]], [[David Dennis]], [[Madoda Ncaylyana]], [[Ellis Pearson]] and [[Mark Graham]].

== Sources ==

''Wikipedia'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Hunt_of_the_Sun]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Shaffer

Theatre programme, [[Little Theatre]], 1969.

[[PACT]] theatre programme, 1981.

Review by [[Robert Greig]] in ''[[Cue]]'', 10 July 1988.

Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

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