Blaise Koch

(****-2008). Performed in 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore (as “Giovanni”), Kennedy's Children (as “Sparger”), Children of the Wolf (as “Robin”), Hamlet (as “Hamlet”), Selle ou Storie (as “Gregory”) Die Belofte (as “Loenidik”), Boeing-Boeing (as “Bernard”), Faan se Stasie (as “Koos Tieties”), Uproar in the House (as “David Prosser”). (SACD 1980/81)

KOCH, Blaise. (1952- 2008) Actor, teacher and director. Born in East London on 20 November 1952, went to a variety of schools, finishing at Graeme College in Grahamstown. Trained at the University of Cape Town. After working in interior design for a while, he joined The Space Theatre, performing in more than 24 plays for them - including Pity About People (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1974) An Evening with Marcel Proust, Children of the Wolf, Die Trommel (André P. Brink, directed by Dawie Malan), A Different Shade of Grey, Don’t walk about with Nothing On, Dracula, Eskoriaal, Gameplay, God’s Forgotten (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1975/1976), Strike Up the Banned (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1976), Good Day, It’s My Weekend, Too, Kennedy's Children, Lesson in Blood and Roses, Madly in Love, A Man Hanging, Muzeeka, Old King Cole, Piekniek te Velde, Pity About People and Selle ou storie (Pieter-Dirk Uys), Dimetos (Athol Fugard), Superman, Three’s Company and 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore.

Also the stage manager for Karnaval and an ASM for Muzeeka. In 1977 he left for the London School of Mime for a three month course and a stint as model in Tel Aviv. On his return he became a full time actor, working for all the professional companies on a freelance basis, though it did include a spell with CAPAB's Youth Theatre and six years with PACOFS, where he did about 50 productions - including Moordenaar (19*), Bloodknot (19*), Vettie, Vettie! (1985), Hello Dolly (19*), Somewhere on the Border, The Merchant of Venice, Dogg's Hamlet- Cahoot's Macbeth, Amadeus, Die Vryerige Spook, Snoopy!!! and Under the Oaks, Over the Hill (Paul Slabolepszy).

Moving to the Cape when the Performing Arts Councils came under pressure to cut back in the early 1990s, he won accolades for his work on Boy Meets Boy, and pursued a freelance career working at the Maynardville Open Air Theatre, for the Baxter, Market Theatre, CAPAB and so on. Some key performances include the roles of Freddie and the clerk in Good (1990), The Apple Cart (1992), The Normal Heart (1992) Love! Valour! Compassion! (19*), As You Like It (1999), and Romeo and Juliet (2000). He joined the staff of the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department in 1998 as acting and voice coach and remained there till 2001, directing and creating a number of cabaret's with students (e.g 3D On Broadway, The Poor Man's Cabaret, and Rendezvous at Café Kum-Hierso, H.B. Thom Theatre, October 1999).

He then moved on to become a voice coach for a number of SABC television series, notably Egoli. A fine character actor, his more than 260 performances include some of the most memorable plays in the South African canon, Winner of many awards, including the Fleur du Cap Theatre Award as Best Supporting Actor for Shaw's Arms and the Man (1991), As you like it (1999), Romeo and Juliet (2000) and the first winner of the Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Best Contribution to a Musical or Revue (Boy Meets Boy 1999).

As a director also won a number of awards, i.a the Rosalie van der Gucht Prize for New Directors in 1993, the ** for Bloodknot (19*) and The Dying Breed (Fleur du Cap Theatre Award, 1993), ALSO DID Auditioning Angels (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 2003). Wrote an autobiography (In, Around, Through and Out - An Actor's Life) published by Spearhead/New Africa Books in 2002 and became an active AIDS campaigner and a motivational speaker with a speech called "Celebration of a Survivor". Died after a protracted illness in Johannesburg on 21 July 2008.

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