Fiela se Kind

Fiela se Kind (“Fiela’s Child”) is the name of a novel by Dalene Matthee (1938–2005), as well as , a film and a play by the same title, based on Matthee's novel.

Fiela se Kind - The novel

The novel was written and published in 1985. It has been a prescribed book for schools for decades.

Translations and adaptations

Fiela's Child - The English version of the novel

Dalene Matthee's English translation of the novel was published as Fiela's Child.

Fiela se Kind - The film

There are two film versions of the novel:

1988 version

In 1988 a popular film version was made by Katinka Heyns with a screenplay by Chris Barnard starring Shaleen Surtie-Richards, André Rossouw, Lida Botha, Dawid Minnaar, Marchelle Verwey, Jan Ellis, Annie Malan, Goliath Davids, Jacques Loots, Cobus Visser, Ernst Eloff, Limpie Basson, Louw Verwey, Alex Heyns, Flip Theron, Schalk Jacobsz, Hermien Dommisse, Gerrit Snyman, Isabella Bosman, Dalene Matthee, Gamiet Peterson, Kamalie Kamalodien, Ted Whitehead.

Produced by Chris Barnard, Edgar Bold and Jon Sparkes.

Music by Johnny Boshoff and Colin Shapiro.

2019 version

In 2019 a new release of the film written and directed by Brett Michael Innes, starring Zenobia Kloppers as Fiela, Luca Bornman, Wayne Smith, Drikus Volschenk, Cindy Swanepoel, Wayne van Rooyen, Chiara Roodt, Melissa Willering, André Stolz, Willie Ludik, Gerald Steyn, Leighman Marshall, Morne Steyn, Mateo Olivier, Stefan Erasmus, Francois Stemmet, Roget Ellis, Elton Landrew, Ivar Thomson, Wim Beukes, Keisha Louis, Carla Classen, Jordin Naude, Kyra Phillips, Israel Andries, Leszaro Jackson, Luziun Jackson, Liny Kruger, Reghardt Pretorius, Clea Prins, Daniel John van Zyl.

Music by Kyle Shepherd.

Fiela se Kind - The stage versions

There have been several stage adaptations of the novel:

• A dramatised stage version of the book, called Hanskind van die Bos was also written and directed by Abraham Jansen and performed by the Heidram in Bloemfontein (1986).

For performance history, see Hanskind van die Bos.

• The novel was dramatised by Suzanne van Wijk as Fiela se Kind (1986).

For performance history, see below.

• Carl van Wyk's folk opera Fiela's Child, set to an English libretto by Andries van der Walt based on Dalene Matthee's novel (1993).

For performance history, see below.

• A musical version was created by Ian von Memerty and titled Fiela’s Child - The Musical (1999).

For performance history, see Fiela’s Child - The Musical.

Performance history of the stage play in South Africa

1986: Performed by CAPAB in 1986 under the direction of Suzanne van Wijk (assisted by Gerard Scholtz), with Limpie Basson as Kaliel and Shaleen Surtie-Richards as Fiela , Zoë Randall, Jannie Gildenhuys, Babs Laker, Farouk Valley-Omar, Gavin van den Berg, Neels Coetzee, Vinette Ebrahim, André Roothman and André Rossouw. Design by Peter Krummeck, lighting Pieter de Swardt, music by Péter Louis van Dijk.

1992: Presented by Die Jeuggeselskap directed by Frans Swart; 4-10 July 1992; Kingswood Space.

1994: PACT presented this play starring Gail Regan under Ilse van Hemert’s direction at the State Theatre in 1994.

1994: It was staged, directed by Ilse van Hemert, with Gail Reagon, Jan Ellis, William Abdul, Marga van Rooy, Paul Lückhoff, Esmeralda Bihl, Tjaart Potgieter, Juliana Venter, Billy Miles and Alistair Prodgers at the Alexander Theatre in May 1994. (Sunday Times, 5 May 1994)

1997: Produced by Frans Swart.

2007: Produced by Frans Swart, Lefra Productions and the ATKV at various South African theatres, directed by Sandra Prinsloo, March to June 2007.

2008: In 2008, 20 years after its first performance, the play was revived at the Artscape Theatre. The new version was directed by Sandra Prinsloo with June van Merch, Stefan Vermaak, Thea Mostert, Nina van Rensburg, Erik Holm, Paul Lückhoff, Rika Sennett, Peter Butler, Cedwyn Joel, André Jacobs, Gerrit Jacobs, Eldon van der Merwe, Ilecia Jacobs and Hermien de Vos.

2017-2018: Performed by Lefra Produksies, directed by Frans Swart and taken on tour in the country. The cast included: Eloff Snyman (nuwe Benjamin), Jaime du Toit (Nina), Shaleen Surtie-Richards (Fiela), Marissa Claasen (older Nina) Phillru van Achterbergh (older Lukas), Paul Lückhoff (Elias van Rooyen), Edrien Erasmus (Barta van Rooyen), Johny Klein, Cobus Venter , Rouel Beukes, Jarrod Haines, Graigan Swartz and Courtney Apies.

Performance history of the opera by Carl van Wyk in South Africa

1993: Presented by University of the Witwatersrand Music School, with Kate Wilmot as Nina and Francois Moller as the Father.

Sources

Grütter, Wilhelm, CAPAB 25 Years, 1987. Unpublished research. p 52, 112

Fiela se Kind theatre programme, KRUIK, 1986.

Die Burger, 18 August 1986.

FIELA SE KIND <newsletter@fielasekind.co.za>

Lefra Produksies website[1]

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144200/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm

https://www.channel24.co.za/Movies/News/watch-the-trailer-for-the-new-fiela-se-kind-movie-is-here-20190613

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8599112/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm

NELM Poster Collection [Collection: POSTERS]: 1997. 21. 47.)

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