Die Van Aardes van Grootoor

("The Van Aardes [lit: those of the earth]of Great Ear") by Pieter-Dirk Uys. An iconic Afrikaans play, based on the format of popular Afrikaans radio soap operas of the 1960s and satirising nationalist politics. The full-length version of a one-act sketch created by Uys and performed by in 1975 as part of the anti-censorship revue ‘’Strike up the Banned’’ at the Space Theatre in Cape Town in 1975. The whole thing took place in a familiar Springbok Radio studio and he and Trix Pienaar enacted the recording of a serial called “Die Van Aardes van Grootoor” and involved the whole drama, snot en trane as presented by Kux toiletseep and dramatically introduced by the most famous theme music, still associated with the even more famous (and real) radio serial, ‘’Die Du Plooys van Soetmelksvlei’’. In 1977, Dawie Malan, Chris Galloway and Bill Curry formed the nucleus of an experimental theatre group called Fringe and performed it as a full play to a small audience at the Baxter Theatre, directed by Malan. It then went to The Laager at the Market Theatre and played there to acclaim for 18 months, moving to the main theatre in July 1979. Most of the Afrikaans actors took part in that season at one stage or another, including Magda Beukes, Antoinette Kellerman, Chris Galloway, Bill Curry, Marthinus Basson, Nomsa Nene, Eon de Vos, Elize Cawood, Johan Botha, Lida Botha, Rina Nienaber and Pieter-Dirk Uys himself. Restaged in 1992 by Pieter Toerien in a new, updated, version featuring Casper de Vries, Trix Pienaar, Lizz Meiring, **; in 2004 it was taken to various festivals in a production with a Cape Flats cast, directed by Anthony Wilson, and in 2009 it was done at Evita se Perron in Darling as part of the ongoing Perron Drama Project, again directed by the playwright, with Jo-Anne Delport, Sari Vlotman, Ella du Plessis, Frits van Ryneveld, Omnia Grobler and Owen Britz. Die Van Aardes van Grootoor by Pieter-Dirk Uys. A satyrical play about life under Apartheid. First produced in 1977 at Baxter Theatre, with Antoinette Kellerman, Mary Dreyer, Chris Galloway, Bill Curry, Lida Botha, Marthinus Basson – dir: Dawie Malan 1978 Market Theatre, with Magda Beukes, Eon de Vos, Rina Nienaber, Antoinette Kellerman, Allan Dysel, Nomsa Nene – dir: Dawie Malan. Published by Taurus.

New 2012 version directed by Albert Maritz featuring Marion Holm, Esther von Waltsleben, De Klerk Oelofse and others. DIE VAN AARDES VAN GROOTOOR KOMEDIE Afr. en Eng. Geen o/15 (S) Moontlik gemaak deur die LW Hiemstra Trust, die Dagbreek Trust en Media24. Teks: Pieter- Dirk Uys Regie: Albert Maritz Met Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Marion Holm, Esther von Waltsleben, Noxolo Bodlani, Pierre van Heerden en De Klerk Oelofse Die Van Aardes van Grootoor het sensuurpanele goed besig gehou in die vorige eeu. Vandag skater gehore steeds vir die malhuisverlede met ’n kinkel in die versiende einde wat jou hard laat dink. (Source: KKNK programme, 29 March-6 April 2013)

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