Percy Sieff

SIEFF, Percy (1928-2009) Actor on stage and film in English and Afrikaans, director, well-known Springbok Radio personality.

Biography

He was born on 22 June 1928, grew up in Melkbosstrand and made his home at Clifton. He was married to Sylvia Perl and they had two children. During the 1990s he and his wife settled in Australia where he received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice at the Sydney Opera house in 1999. He died in Cape Town aged 80 on 1 March 2009.

Career

Worked for CAPAB. Also worked for The Space in the 1970s.

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

Performed the original Bosman one-man show Willem Prinsloo's peach brandy: an evening of H C Bosman countrywide since early 1969, acted in Long Day's Journey into Night, Luv, Occupations, Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act, A Thousand Clowns and Alpha Beta. He also devised and presented some of his own productions at The Space, including Jewish Humour, Sincerely Yours, Nostalgic 20s, Nostalgic 30s, Look at the 60s, Son of Jewish Humour. * Sincerely Yours became a long-term vehicle for Sieff, who took this one-man show on Mark Twain across the globe, right into the late 1990s.

Played in The Caucasian Chalk Circle (1959), Cyrano de Bergerac (1969), Moeder Hanna (CAPAB 1970), Paul Harmse in Christine for CAPAB 1987, Faust, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Proposal, Broken Glass, Venus Observed, Captain Carvallo and many other productions.

Awards

Won a Three-leaf award for Polo in A Hatful of Rain, 1966.

Fleur du Cap nomination for his role in Broken Glass, 1995.

Sources

SACD 1973; 1974.

Cape Argus 19 May 1999.

Cape Times 5 March 2009.

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