Marthinus Basson

(1953-) Actor, enormously influential director and designer, dramatist, teacher and a fine theatre photographer.

Biography

Born in ** on 7 April 1953, he grew up on his parents' farm Zwartwater, near Darling, went to school at ***

Acting career

Made his professional debut as actor in with the Space Theatre, performing in a French farce as well as Selle Ou Storie (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1974). He was the stage manager for ‘Tis Pity she’s a Whore. Also worked for Syrkel, PACOFS, the Baxter theatre, SWAPAC. A founder-member of the Fringe Theatre Company and CAPAB Youth Company, where he was an actor for 6 years. In the meanwhile he becomes involved with Chris Pretorius’s Glass Theatre and taught at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University.

Directing career

Directed his first play in 1983, and won his first directing Fleur du Cap Theatre Award in 1986 for Anatomie Titus: Fall of Rome. (He also won the Rosalie van der Gucht Prize for New Directors in this year.) Became CAPAB’s first permanent resident director in 1986 and went on to become one of the leading and more influential director/designers of the 1990s and early 21st century. When CAPAB became ArtsCape and dropped its permanent company, he worked freelance. In 2000**? he, Saartjie Botha and Jaco Bouwer founded the company Rys, Vleis en Artappels ("Rice, Meat and Potatoes"). His acting career includes roles in Die Trommel, Eskoriaal, Fortune and Men’s Eyes, Ooh! La-La, Piekniek te Velde and Snowhite & the Special Branch! (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1974), (all for The Space Theatre ), ***, Die Van Aardes van Grootoor (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1977), * Snoopy, (CAPAB, 1983), * Die Rebellie van Lafras Verwey (CAPAB, 199*), * Saad (Vleis, Rys & Aartappels, 2008), * His major productions as director/designer include Anatomie Titus??* (1986), ***, Callaway, Farce (1991), Die Nag, Moeder van die Dag (**, 1991), Die Tou (1992), ***, Macbeth (1996), Legende van Wit en Swart (De Haeck, 1992*), Mirakel (Reza De Wet 1992*), Mis ([[Reza De Wet, 1993*), Drif (Reza De Wet, 1994), Drie Susters Twee (Reza De Wet, 199*), Yelena (Reza De Wet, 199*), Boklied (Breytenbach, 1999*), Hoekom is dié wat voor toi-toi altyd so vet? (Antjie Krog, 1999), Ek, Anna van Wyk (Pieter Fourie, 1999), Johnny Cockroach (Breytenbach, 2000*), Die Toneelstuk (Breytenbach, 2001*), Tango del’ Fuego (Basson and co, 200*), Gert Garries – 'n baaisiekel babelas(by Pieter Fourie, for Rooderant Produksies, 2002), Die Goue Seun (Rys, Vleis en Artapples, 2002), Koggelmanderman (Pieter Fourie, 2003), ,Mama Medea (Lanoye, 2003)*** (De Wet, 2004), Maria de Buenos Aires (**, 2004), Romeo and Julia (Vleis, Rys en Aartappels, 2005), Slaghuis (Willem Anker, 2006), Die Storm (Shakespeare, 2007), ʼn Lang dagreis na die nag (Vleis, Rys en Aartappels, 2008), Boks (Vleis, Rys & Aartappels, 2008), Die Joseph & Mary Affair (Vleis, Rys & Aartappels, 2008), . Also directed opera, including ***.

Awards

Has won numerous awards for directing and design over the years, including the Standard Bank Young Artist’s Award (1989), and many Vita Awards and Fleur du Cap Awards. In 2002 he received the Erepenning vir Toneelkuns [medal of honour for theatre arts] from the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns for his contribution to South African theatre.

Sources

See the TV documentary film Marthinus Cloete Basson (Etienne de Villiers, 1996)

Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography

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