Difference between revisions of "Francois Swart"
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| − | + | '''Francois Swart''' (1938-1994). Brilliant actor and director. | |
| − | |||
| − | == | + | == Biography == |
| − | + | He died of cancer at the age of fifty-six in January 1994. | |
| − | Return to [[ESAT Personalities S]] | + | == Training == |
| + | Possessed of a superbly resonant voice, he trained under [[Elizabeth Sneddon]] at the Department of Speech and Drama at the [[University of Natal]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Career == | ||
| + | Artistic director of [[PACT]] (1979*-198*) and Professor of Drama, [[Rhodes University]] (198*-198*). | ||
| + | |||
| + | Began to direct in 19* and developed into one of the finest directors the country has ever seen. However, his period of most impact must be between 1972 and 1978, when he, as Artistic Director, guided an inspired [[PACT]] Afrikaans company and the budding new playwrights of the time (***, [[Chris Barnard]], [[P.G. du Plessis]]) to what is considered by many to be the first golden age of Afrikaans theatre. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance== | ||
| + | |||
| + | As actor | ||
| + | He starred in the [[PACT]] production ''[[Hamlet]]'' which was staged at the [[Civic]] in 1964. It was directed by [[Margaret Inglis]] and also starred [[Reinet Maasdorp]], [[Joan Blake]] and [[Joe Stewardson]] in 1964. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Was cast as a young Germanicus in the 19** [[NTO]] production of [[N.P. van Wyk Louw]]’s epic tragedy. Other major roles for [[NTO]] and [[PACT]] include **, **, | ||
| + | |||
| + | He starred in [[Leonard Schach]]’s production of [[Shaw]]’s ''[[Heartbreak House]]'' for [[PACT]] at the [[Alexander]] in 1967. It also starred [[Siegfried Mynhardt]], [[Alec Bell]], [[Elizabeth Meyer]], [[Kerry Jordan]], [[Joan Blake]], [[Frank Lazarus]] and [[Maggie Soboil]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | As director | ||
| + | [[PACT]] staged an Afrikaans translation of ''[[The Italian Straw Hat]]'' which he directed at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1966. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed the Restoration comedy classic ''[[The Beaux Stratagem]]'' at the [[Brooke Theatre]] in 1966 for [[PACT]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed ''[[Die Drie Van Der Walts]]'' for [[TRUK]] in 1969. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He staged Shakespeare’s ''[[King John]]'' with [[Ken Leach]] in the lead, and [[Ampie]] in 1970. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed ''[[A Winter Vacation]]'' by [[Don Maclennan]] for [[PACT]] at the [[Arena]] in 1970. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He won best director for his direction of [[P.G. du Plessis]]’s ''[[Siener in die Suburbs]]'' starring [[Marius Weyers]] and [[Sandra Prinsloo]] which was stage by [[PACT]] in 1971. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In 1972 [[PACT/TRUK]], under directorship of Swart, staged Shakespeare’s ''[[Richard III]]'' directed by [[Ken Leach]], John Guare’s ''[[The House of Blue Leaves]]'', directed by [[Taubie Kushlick]], [[John Hussey]]’s production of the Peter Shaffer double bill ''[[Black Comedy]]'' and ''[[White Liars]]'' with [[Ruth Oppenheim]] and [[Eckard Rabe]] and [[Truida Louw]]’s Afrikaans production of Schiller’s ''[[Maria Stuart]]'', all of which took place at the [[Alexander Theatre]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | His inspired direction of Du Plessis’s record breaking tragedy ''[[Siener in die Suburbs]]'' made him, the playwright and the cast household names. He directed Molière’s ''[[Tartuffe]]'' which was staged at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1973, ''[[Plaston: DNS-Kind]]'' (1974), ''[['n Seder val in Waterkloof]]'' (1975), he directed [[Sandra Prinsloo]] in an Afrikaans translation of Ibsen’s ''[[Hedda Gabler]]'' for [[PACT]] in 1974 [[PACT]] staged his Afrikaans production of ''[[Othello]]'' with [[Louis van Niekerk]], [[Sandra Prinsloo]] and [[Marius Weyers]] in 1975, he directed [[PACT]]’s production of Simon Gray’s ''[[Butley]]'' with [[Michael McCabe]] at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1977, Terence Rattigan’s ''[[Ross]]'' with [[Michael McCabe]] for [[PACT]] in 1979, Schlengemann’s ''[[Die Drie Van Der Walts]]'' starring [[Don Lamprecht]], [[Wilna Snyman]] and [[Errol Ross]], and John Pank’s ''[[Windmills of the Mind]]'' with [[Kerry Jordan]], [[Michael McCabe]], [[John Hussey]] and [[Bobby Heaney]] were also directed by him for [[PACT]] in 1979. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed [[Eduardo di Filippo]]’s ''[[Filumena]]'' starring [[Wilna Snyman]] which formed part of the opening season of the [[Pretoria State Theatre]] in 1981. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed the [[PACT]] production of [[William Gibson]]’s ''[[Monday After the Miracle]]'', the sequel to ''[[The Miracle Worker]]'' starring [[Sandra Duncan]] and [[Pamela Gien]] at the [[Pretoria State Theatre]] and the [[Alexander]] in 1982. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Wilna Snyman speel [[Anastasia]], ''[[Die Vroue van Troje]]'', ''[[Hamlet]]''. [[Francois Swart]] (dir) ''[[First Monday in October]]'', 1980, [[CAPAB]]. (First English role). [[Theodora]], 1981, [[Staatsteater]], Pta. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | He directed [[Christopher Hampton]]’s ''[[Savages]]'' with [[Michael McCabe]] and [[Frantz Dobrowsky]] for [[PACT]] in 1982. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed an Afrikaans translation of [[James Goldman]]’s ''[[The Lion in Winter]]'' called ''Die Leeu in die Winter'' starring [[Wilna Snyman]] and [[Louis van Niekerk]] for [[PACT]] in 1982. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ''[[Bloedbruilof]]'' – [[Federico Garcia Lorca]], Regie: [[Francois Swart]], Vertaling: [[A Brink]]; met [[Wilna Snyman]], [[Jacques Loots]] & [[Johan Malherbe]]. Ontwerp: [[Chris van den Berg]], [[Sand Du Plessis Theatre]], Aug. 1985 | ||
| + | |||
| + | ''[[Don Juan onder die Boere]]'' – [[Bartho Smit]]; Regie: [[Francois Swart]], met [[Wilna Snyman]], [[Pierre van Pletzen]], [[Arnold Vosloo]], [[Johan Malherbe]], [[Jacques Loots]]. Ontwerp: dekor – [[Johan Badenhorst]]; Kostuums: [[James Parker]]; [[Sand du Plessis Theatre]], 1985 | ||
| + | |||
| + | ''[[Vasvat van ‘n Feeks]]'' (198*), ''[[Germanicus]]'' ([[Van Wyk Louw]], 198*) ***, ''[[Look Back in Anger]]'' (1986), ''[[Mary Stuart]]'' (1987), *** and ***. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed [[PACT]]’s ''[[Look Back in Anger]]'' at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1987. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed [[Marius Weyers]] and [[Sandra Prinsloo]] in an Afrikaans translation of ''[[Hamlet]]'' for [[TRUK]] in 1987. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed ''[[As You Like It]]'' for [[PACT]] in 1989. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed Lerner and Lowe’s ''[[Camelot]]'' at the [[State Theatre]] in 1989. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed [[Uys Krige]]’s Afrikaans version of ''[[King Lear]]'' in 1990. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed [[PACT]], [[PACOFS]] and [[NAPAC]]’s production of ''[[My Fair Lady]]'' at the [[State Theatre]] in 1990. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed Lerner and Lowe’s ''[[Brigadoon]]'' at the [[Pretoria State Theatre]] in 1991. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed [[Wole Soyinka]]’s ''[[Death and the King’s Horseman]]'' in 1992. | ||
| + | |||
| + | His production of Lerner and Lowe’s ''[[Gigi]]'' was staged at the [[Pretoria State Theatre]] in 1992. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He directed [[Edward Albee]]’s ''[[A Delicate Balance]]'' in 1993. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | ==Awards== | ||
| + | He won best director for his direction of [[P.G. du Plessis]]’s ''[[Siener in die Suburbs]]'' starring [[Marius Weyers]] and [[Sandra Prinsloo]] which was staged by [[PACT]] in 1971 | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Sources == | ||
| + | [[ESAT Bibliography Tra-Tz|Tucker]], 1997. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | == Return to == | ||
| + | |||
| + | Return to [[ESAT Personalities S]] | ||
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]] | Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | Return to [[The ESAT Entries]] | ||
Return to [[Main Page]] | Return to [[Main Page]] | ||
Revision as of 17:10, 21 October 2016
Francois Swart (1938-1994). Brilliant actor and director.
Contents
Biography
He died of cancer at the age of fifty-six in January 1994.
Training
Possessed of a superbly resonant voice, he trained under Elizabeth Sneddon at the Department of Speech and Drama at the University of Natal
Career
Artistic director of PACT (1979*-198*) and Professor of Drama, Rhodes University (198*-198*).
Began to direct in 19* and developed into one of the finest directors the country has ever seen. However, his period of most impact must be between 1972 and 1978, when he, as Artistic Director, guided an inspired PACT Afrikaans company and the budding new playwrights of the time (***, Chris Barnard, P.G. du Plessis) to what is considered by many to be the first golden age of Afrikaans theatre.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
As actor He starred in the PACT production Hamlet which was staged at the Civic in 1964. It was directed by Margaret Inglis and also starred Reinet Maasdorp, Joan Blake and Joe Stewardson in 1964.
Was cast as a young Germanicus in the 19** NTO production of N.P. van Wyk Louw’s epic tragedy. Other major roles for NTO and PACT include **, **,
He starred in Leonard Schach’s production of Shaw’s Heartbreak House for PACT at the Alexander in 1967. It also starred Siegfried Mynhardt, Alec Bell, Elizabeth Meyer, Kerry Jordan, Joan Blake, Frank Lazarus and Maggie Soboil.
As director PACT staged an Afrikaans translation of The Italian Straw Hat which he directed at the Intimate Theatre in 1966.
He directed the Restoration comedy classic The Beaux Stratagem at the Brooke Theatre in 1966 for PACT.
He directed Die Drie Van Der Walts for TRUK in 1969.
He staged Shakespeare’s King John with Ken Leach in the lead, and Ampie in 1970.
He directed A Winter Vacation by Don Maclennan for PACT at the Arena in 1970.
He won best director for his direction of P.G. du Plessis’s Siener in die Suburbs starring Marius Weyers and Sandra Prinsloo which was stage by PACT in 1971.
In 1972 PACT/TRUK, under directorship of Swart, staged Shakespeare’s Richard III directed by Ken Leach, John Guare’s The House of Blue Leaves, directed by Taubie Kushlick, John Hussey’s production of the Peter Shaffer double bill Black Comedy and White Liars with Ruth Oppenheim and Eckard Rabe and Truida Louw’s Afrikaans production of Schiller’s Maria Stuart, all of which took place at the Alexander Theatre.
His inspired direction of Du Plessis’s record breaking tragedy Siener in die Suburbs made him, the playwright and the cast household names. He directed Molière’s Tartuffe which was staged at the Alexander Theatre in 1973, Plaston: DNS-Kind (1974), 'n Seder val in Waterkloof (1975), he directed Sandra Prinsloo in an Afrikaans translation of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler for PACT in 1974 PACT staged his Afrikaans production of Othello with Louis van Niekerk, Sandra Prinsloo and Marius Weyers in 1975, he directed PACT’s production of Simon Gray’s Butley with Michael McCabe at the Alexander Theatre in 1977, Terence Rattigan’s Ross with Michael McCabe for PACT in 1979, Schlengemann’s Die Drie Van Der Walts starring Don Lamprecht, Wilna Snyman and Errol Ross, and John Pank’s Windmills of the Mind with Kerry Jordan, Michael McCabe, John Hussey and Bobby Heaney were also directed by him for PACT in 1979.
He directed Eduardo di Filippo’s Filumena starring Wilna Snyman which formed part of the opening season of the Pretoria State Theatre in 1981.
He directed the PACT production of William Gibson’s Monday After the Miracle, the sequel to The Miracle Worker starring Sandra Duncan and Pamela Gien at the Pretoria State Theatre and the Alexander in 1982.
Wilna Snyman speel Anastasia, Die Vroue van Troje, Hamlet. Francois Swart (dir) First Monday in October, 1980, CAPAB. (First English role). Theodora, 1981, Staatsteater, Pta.
He directed Christopher Hampton’s Savages with Michael McCabe and Frantz Dobrowsky for PACT in 1982.
He directed an Afrikaans translation of James Goldman’s The Lion in Winter called Die Leeu in die Winter starring Wilna Snyman and Louis van Niekerk for PACT in 1982.
Bloedbruilof – Federico Garcia Lorca, Regie: Francois Swart, Vertaling: A Brink; met Wilna Snyman, Jacques Loots & Johan Malherbe. Ontwerp: Chris van den Berg, Sand Du Plessis Theatre, Aug. 1985
Don Juan onder die Boere – Bartho Smit; Regie: Francois Swart, met Wilna Snyman, Pierre van Pletzen, Arnold Vosloo, Johan Malherbe, Jacques Loots. Ontwerp: dekor – Johan Badenhorst; Kostuums: James Parker; Sand du Plessis Theatre, 1985
Vasvat van ‘n Feeks (198*), Germanicus (Van Wyk Louw, 198*) ***, Look Back in Anger (1986), Mary Stuart (1987), *** and ***.
He directed PACT’s Look Back in Anger at the Alexander Theatre in 1987.
He directed Marius Weyers and Sandra Prinsloo in an Afrikaans translation of Hamlet for TRUK in 1987.
He directed As You Like It for PACT in 1989.
He directed Lerner and Lowe’s Camelot at the State Theatre in 1989.
He directed Uys Krige’s Afrikaans version of King Lear in 1990.
He directed PACT, PACOFS and NAPAC’s production of My Fair Lady at the State Theatre in 1990.
He directed Lerner and Lowe’s Brigadoon at the Pretoria State Theatre in 1991.
He directed Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman in 1992.
His production of Lerner and Lowe’s Gigi was staged at the Pretoria State Theatre in 1992.
He directed Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance in 1993.
Awards
He won best director for his direction of P.G. du Plessis’s Siener in die Suburbs starring Marius Weyers and Sandra Prinsloo which was staged by PACT in 1971
Sources
Tucker, 1997.
Return to
Return to ESAT Personalities S
Return to South African Theatre Personalities
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
