The Tempest

The Tempest [1] is a 1611 play by William Shakespeare (1564–1616) [2].

Translations and adaptations

Translated into Afrikaans as ????** and as Die Storm ( = The Storm) by Tjaart Potgieter in 1988), produced by PACT in 198*?.

Performance history in South Africa

First performed in South Africa by *** in 18**.

Famous productions include **,

1923: three performances by the University Players at the Palladium Theatre, Johannesburg in 1923. (Incidental music was played by an ensemble of six which included Prof Percival Kirby, head of the Department of Music at Wits).

1946: an all-"coloured" production was done in the City Hall, Cape Town, presented by a non-European cast, directed by Rosalie van der Gucht. Sponsored by the SA Association of Arts, with settings and costumes by John Dronsfield and Cecil Higgs. George Veldsman as Prospero, Cecil Wynne as Trinculo, William McLeod as Ariel, Catherine Pienaar as Miranda, George Cloete as Ferdinand, Edmund Davis as Gonzalo.

1956: Johannesburg Reps directed by Leslie French and featuring David Crichton, **; Port Elizabeth Shakespearean Festival production with David Crichton as Ariel (date unknown).

1968: PACOFS and the Bloemfontein Shakespeare Circle in 1970, directed by Leslie French, featuring John Boulter as Prospero, the young Ralph Lawson as Ariel, Rina le Grange as Miranda and Neels Coetzee as Caliban.

1973: Presented by Cecilia Sonnenberg and René Ahrenson at Maynardville in January, directed by Leslie French starring Philip Birkinshaw as Prospero, David Oxley, John Fourie, Michael Fisher, Robert Davies, Don Maguire, Patrick Anderton, Jeff de Raedt, Pieter Geldenhuys, David Crichton, William Baird-Clark, Mary Dreyer, Alan Johns, Cynthia Coller, Jeanne Voigt and Michelle Voigt.

1982: CAPAB at Maynardville, directed by Ken Leach with Michael Atkinson as Prospero, James Borthwick as Caliban, John Whiteley, David Bateson, Anthony Drake, James Irwin, Bill Jervis, Ronald Wallace, George Jackson, Megan Kruskal, Mark Legward. Music, Johan Cloete, decor and costumes Penny Simpson, choreography Pamela Chrimes, lighting and production stage manager Brian Kennedy, stage manager Mavis Lilenstein. Opened 17 December 1982.

1992: A performance in the H.B. Thom Theatre directed by Mark Graham, starring Peter Lloyd, Jaco Agenbach, André van der Merwe, Chris Vorster and others.

1994: CAPAB Drama in association with Nedbank production at Maynardville. Directed by Roy Sargeant. Design by Keith Anderson. Lighting by Malcolm Hurrell. Music by Michael Tuffin. Specialised movement by Marlene Blom. Stage director: Patrick Curtis. Opened on 21 January, 1994 after its run at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre 12-15 January 1994. Cast: Ralph Lawson (Prospero), Jana van Niekerk (Miranda), Anthony Bishop (Antonio), Blaise Koch (Alonso), Dale Abrahams (Sebastian), Gavin Hood (Ferdinand), Jay Heale (Gonzalo), Steven Stead (Ariel/Ceres), Nkosinathi Gqotso (Caliban), Frank de Gouveia (Adrian), André Samuels (Francisco), Ivan Abrahams (Trinculo), Ronald France (Stephano), Morné Visser (Boatswain/Spirit), Xola Luse (Ship's Master/Spirit), Deirdre Wolhuter (Iris/Spirit), Zoliswa Kawe (Juno/Spirit), Craig Leo (Spirit) and James Baker-Duly (Spirit).

2007: A radically new Afrikaans production, based on the earlier translation by Tjaart Potgieter adapted by Zandra Bezuidenhout, was produced by Vleis, Rys, en Aartappels in conjunction with the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department, for the Oudtshoorn Festival (KKNK), directed by Marthinus Basson with Antoinette Kellerman as Prospero, Jana Cilliers as Ariel, Neels Coetzee as Gonzalo, Gerben Kamper as Caliban and Riaan Visman as Stephano.

Sources

Bosman, 1928: pp.

South African Opinion, 3(3):22; Trek, 10(20):18, 1946.

PACT theatre programme, 1975.

PACOFS Drama 25 Years, 1963-1988

H.B. Thom Theatre programme, April 1992.

Maynardville Theatre programme, December 1982; January 1994.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to T in Plays 2 Foreign Plays

Return to South_African_Theatre/Plays

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page