Paul du Toit

There are two South African theatre personalities by this name.

Neither of them to be confused with the South African artist and sculptor Paul du Toit (1965 – 2014).[1]

Paul du Toit (19**-) Actor

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Played "Lennox" in the 1950 Afrikaans Macbeth (NTO).

Sources

Leonard Schach 1996. The Flag is Flying: A Very Personal History of Theatre in the Old South Africa. Cape Town: Human and Rousseau: p.62

Paul du Toit (1974-) Actor, singer, director and playwright

Biography

Born and raised in Somerset West to a theatrical family (his mother wrote and produced musicals), he started as a child actor in local productions. He completed his Drama Honours degree at Stellenbosch University Drama Department in 1996. While at university he received voice training in opera from Matthys Strumpher at the University's Conservatorium[2] and appeared in a number of Drama Department productions.

After graduating he moved into the professional field, working as actor, playwright and director for a range of companies, including Unlikely Productions. He also became a strong presence in film and television, inter alia also through his own company, Fanagalo Films.

Paul moved to Canada in 2020 with his Canadian wife, Clair, and their two sons, where they settled in Vancouver.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Stage career

Paul played the role of Lord John and understudied Kevin Smith as John Merrick in The Elephant Man. In 1997 Paul played Cleomenes in The Winter's Tale and Jack in Into the Woods, both for CAPAB. Later he was cast as the lead in Pieter Toerien's production of Doowah Boys 2.

For CAPAB he has appeared in the hit musical Boy Meets Boy.

Other productions include The Parrot Woman (Charles J. Fourie, 199*), Honk!, 2000, Auditioning Angels (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 2003). Also, collaborating with Anton Luitingh, performed in a range of revues, including Rock Me Amadeus, Same Time Next Year (2013-4), Hemelruim (2015), Uit die Bloute (2018).

He co-wrote, co-directed and performed in the Offbeat Broadway quintet of satires (2011) and wrote and directed the award-winning plays The Unlikely Secret Agent in 2022 and in the same year translated and directed Gail Louw's internationally acclaimed play The Good Dad as Die Goeie Pa

On stage he won the 2022 Fleur du Cap Theatre Award as Best Director for THE UNLIKELY SECRET AGENT. He was awarded the 2018 Fiesta for Best Actor as well as Best Actor at Aardklop 2017 for MELK EN VLEIS. He won the 20017 Fleur Du Cap as Best Actor in a Musical for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. He also won the 2001 FNB Vita for Best Supporting Actor playing Cassio in OTHELLO. Other notable performances saw him as Biff in DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Best Supporting Actor nomination Kyknet Fiestas), John Merrick in THE ELEPHANT MAN, Stephen in OLD WICKED SONGS (FNB Vita nomination for Best Actor), Orlando in AS YOU LIKE IT, Edgar in KING LEAR, Pieter Dirk Uys’s AUDITIONING ANGELS, IN GLAS, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, SKIN TIGHT, INTO THE WOODS, HONK! (Vita nomination, Best Performance in A Musical) and George in SAME TIME NEXT YEAR winning an Ovation Award at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. He spent 19 months in fishnets playing Frank N Furter in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Naledi nomination, Best Performance in A Musical) and was also in the Fugard Theatre’s production of “ROCKY” as Brad earning him a Fleur du Cap nomination for best lead in a musical. He also starred in UIT DIE BLOUTE, AUNTY MERLE THE MUSICAL, TWO TO TANGO and played Roelof in the acclaimed stage production of HEMELRUIM.

Paul was one of the creators of the long-running OFFBEAT BROADWAY series, which earned him a FNB Vita nomination for Best Performance in A Musical as well as a nomination for Best Musical. His one man show, ARE YOU KIDDING? played to sold out houses and rave reviews at the 2014 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and at the Hilton Arts Festival.

Career in film and television

He became known nationally for his starring role in 9 seasons of the popular daily drama, Binnelanders and has co-hosted and co-produced the food, travel and lifestyle documentary series Rough or Smooth through his production company Fanagalo Films.

Other South African TV credits as actor include "Albert Hugo" in Die Waterfront, "Gert Grobler", the butcher of Merweville, in Die Boekklub, and roles in Black Sails, Fynskrif, Die Byl, Boland Moorde and Kom ons Kamp.

His local film credits include Beyond the River, Noem my Skollie, Bloodline, Semi-Soet, Liefling: Die Movie, Skilpoppe, Trouvoete, French Toast, Mossie and Stiekyt.

He has also worked extensively in many other film and television productions intended for the North American, British and South African markets. (See his full profile on IMDb[3]).

Awards, etc

In 1995 he won the Best Actor Award from the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department for his role as Johnnie in Hello and Goodbye Other awards include:

1996: Nominated for a Fleur du Cap in the category Most Promising Student.

1998: Vita Award Nominee (Best Actor) for the Pieter Toerien Production, Old Wicked Songs

2001 Winner of the FNB Vita Award for Best Supporting Actor as "Cassio" in Othello.

2017 Fleur Du Cap Award as Best Actor in a Musical for Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

2018 Fiesta Award for Best Actor as well as Best Actor at Aardklop 2017 for Melk en Vleis.

2022 The Fleur du Cap Theatre Award as Best Director for The Unlikely Secret Agent.

Sources

Paul du Toit: Biography July 2022 and Paul du Toit: Resume 2024 (both courtesy of Paul du Toit, held in ESAT archives).

The Elephant Man programme notes.

Sunday Independent, 15 June 2014.

Die Burger, 25 March 2022.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1957436/

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

https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/rough-or-smooth/1000117759/

https://www.brucedennill.co.za/2022/06/07/theatre-interview-paul-du-toit-the-unlikely-secret-agent-or-holding-the-brush/

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