Danie Burger

Danie Burger (1946-2025) was a male nurse, municipal administrator , stage actor, translator and director.

Biography

He attended high school at Hoërskool Grens, matriculating in 1963, before training for and working as a male nurse for a few years.

After a time in London and Europe, he worked in the city administration of Pretoria, while doing part-time acting and directing, before registering for a B.A. in Drama at the University of Pretoria, completing his studies in 1976.

In this period he and Pieter Brand co-founded Dinkteater ("Think Theatre"), an experimental theatre workshop housed in a warehouse in Pretoria, using semi-professional and amateur performers in avant garde productions, heavily influenced by the work of Peter Brook, Jerzy Grotowsky and the newly founded Space Theatre in Cape Town.

In 1982 he resigned his municipal job and went to Cape Town to do a one year Hons BA in Directing at the University of Cape Town under Robert Mohr. On completing his studies, he joined the PACOFS drama company in 1983 as actor and director, before taking up a permanent administrative position as to the Mayor in the Municipality of Durban.

In he resigned from his job, citing professional differences, and retired to the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal in the new millennium, where he opened/taught at(?) The Speech & Drama Studio in Port Shepstone and Margate.

He later moved to Pinetown, Natal, where he passed away of unknown causes on 18 April, 2025.

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

He apparently started his theatrical career while still at school, inter alia appearing in several acts of a concert programme presented by the Hoërskool Grens in 1963.

While working as a male nurse, he became involved with the Port Elizabethse Afrikaanse Amateur Toneelvereniging (PEAAT) in Port Elizabeth, both as a director and performer.

For Dinkteater he directed a number of Afrikaans versions of Elizabethan and Jacobean plays (e.g. The Duchess of Malfi, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore ), as well more contemporary works by Ionesco (Exit the King), Cristofer (The Shadow Box) and others. He also directed a number of original new Afrikaans plays for them, including Bloedlyn (197*) and Wie is Leopold? (197*) both by Temple Hauptfleisch and Die Duiwel, sy handlanger en die drie ligtekooie by Marlene van Niekerk (197*).

For PACOFS he acted in Julius Caesar, Laat-Februarie 1922, Taraboemdery, Twaalfde Nag, Babbelkous!, Die Hand vol Vere, Vettie, Vettie!. He directed As die Nefie kom Kuier, and assisted as director for Charley se Tante.

He translated and adapted plays such as The Duchess of Malfi, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore and The Shadow Box into Afrikaans.

Sources

National Arts Festival programme, 1985.

Personal records of Temple Hauptfleisch and Karina Hauptfleisch

The Danie Burger collection of personal records, theatre programmes and photographs housed in the PARC research collection of the Africa Open Institute at the University of Stellenbosch.

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