Difference between revisions of "Uys Krige"

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'''Mattheus Uys Krige''' (1910–1987) was a South African poet, playwright and novelist who wrote in both [[Afrikaans]] and English. He was also a prolific translator, sportsman, journalist, war correspondent and gregarious conversationalist. Krige was awarded the [[Hertzog Prize]] twice, for Poetry in 1974 and for Drama in 1985.
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[[Uys Krige]] (1910–1987) was a versatile South African journalist, war correspondent, poet, playwright, translator and novelist, who wrote in both [[Afrikaans]] and English.
 +
 
 +
He was also a prolific sportsman and a famously gregarious conversationalist.  
  
 
== Biography ==
 
== Biography ==
  
 
=== Youth ===
 
=== Youth ===
−
Uys Krige was born on 4 February 1910 on Bontebokskloof, near Swellendam in the Cape Province.
+
 
 +
Born Mattheus Uys Krige on 4 February 1910 on the farm Bontebokskloof, near Swellendam in the Cape Province. His father was the famous Springbok rugby centre, Japie Krige. Uys attended school in Cape Town and Stellenbosch
  
 
=== Training ===
 
=== Training ===
−
He studied literature at the [[University of Stellenbosch]].
+
 
 +
He studied law at the [[University of Stellenbosch]].
  
 
=== Career ===
 
=== Career ===
−
After graduating from university he became a journalist and started his career as a reporter for ''The Rand Daily Mail'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rand_Daily_Mail] and later as literature editor at the newspaper ''Die Suiderstem''. He spent a considerable time in Europe, where he was a correspondent during the Spanish Civil War, was later captured during WWII, only to escape from his Italian prisoner-of-war camp. After his return to South Africa he became a full-time freelance writer.
 
  
−
Krige married the South African actress [[Lydia Lindeque]] in 1937 and they were divorced seven years later. Finally he settled in Onrusrivier near Hermanus in the Cape Province as one of the founding members of an artists' colony there. And this is where he died on 10 August 1987.
+
After graduating from university he became a journalist and started his career as a reporter for ''The Rand Daily Mail'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rand_Daily_Mail] and later as literature editor at the newspaper ''Die Suiderstem''. He spent a considerable time in Europe, where he was a correspondent during the Spanish Civil War, was later captured during WWII, only to escape from his Italian prisoner-of-war camp.
 +
 
 +
Back in South Africa Uys Krige dedicated his time mainly to writing and settled first in Johannesburg, then in Cape Town. His interest in theatre and drama was stimulated when he married the South African actress [[Lydia Lindeque]] in 1937 - they were divorced seven years later.
 +
 
 +
Finally he settled in Onrusrivier near Hermanus in the Cape Province as one of the founding members of an artists' colony there. This is where he lived for the last 18 years of his life. Uys Krige died on 10 August 1987.
 +
 
 +
==Writing==
 +
 
 +
War is a dominant theme in much of his writing. While some of his work was originally written in English, notably the full-length play ''[[The Two Lamps]]'' (1964) and the two autobiographical accounts ''The Way Out'' (1947) and ''Orphan of the Desert'' (1967), Krige is known primarily for his [[Afrikaans]] poetry, his [[Afrikaans]] translations of verse and plays from especially French and Spanish, and his [[Afrikaans]] one-act plays (most of which he himself also translated into English) and some of his full-lenth work.  
  
 
==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
 
==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
−
War is a dominant theme in much of his writing. While some of his work was originally written in English, notably the full-length play ''[[The Two Lamps]]'' (1964) and the two autobiographical accounts ''The Way Out'' (1947) and ''Orphan of the Desert'' (1967), Krige is known primarily for his Afrikaans poetry, his Afrikaans translations of verse and plays from especially French and Spanish, and his Afrikaans one-act plays (most of which he himself also translated into English) and some of his full-lenth work. His In 1938 he won the playwrighting competition organised in 1938 by the [[Krugersdorp Municipal Dramatic and Operatic Society]] ([[KMDOS]]) for the Centennial celebrations of the Great Trek, with his full length play ''[[Magdalena Retief]]'' (19**). His other plays include ''[[Alle paaie lei na Rome]]'' (All Roads Lead to Rome ) (19*), **, ''[[Die Grootkanonne]]'', (The Big Shots) (19*), ''[[Die Arrestasie]]'' (The Arrest), ''[[Fuente Sagrada]]'', ''[[Die Skerpskutter]]'' (The Sniper), ''[[Die Ryk Weduwee]]'' ("The Rich Widow" - perf. 1953) and. ***. A fine and prolific translator, he translated a number of his own one act plays into English himself  (published in two collections by HAUM in 1964, namely ''[[The Sniper]]'' and other one-act plays and ''[[The Two Lamps]]''). His many translations from English and other European languages include Shakespeare’s ''[[Twaalfde Nag]]'' (''Twelfth Night''), ''[[Koning Lear]]'' (''King Lear'') , ''[[Die Vasvat van ‘n Feeks]]''??** (''The Taming of a Shrew'')**. He also translated Spanish and French plays, including Lorca's ''[[Die Huis van Bernarda Alba]]'' (''The House of Bernarda Alba''), ''[[Yerma]]'', and  ***, and Anouilh's ***, **, **. On occasion acted as adjudicator for the [[FATSSA]] Play Festival. In 2002?** [[John Kannemeyer|J.C. Kannemeyer]] published a biography on Krige, called ''Die Goue Seun'' (The Golden Boy) and in the same year an immensely successful biopic-play (''[[Die Goue Seun]]''), based on the book and Krige's works, was produced by his niece, the actress [[Grethe Fox]] and directed by [[Marthinus Basson]]. 
 
  
−
KRIGE, Uys. Poet and Playwright. [[JAATS]] managed to secure the rights to premiere his ''[[Die Goue Kring]]'' at the Library for their Festival production in 1956. [[PACT]]’s Afrikaans company staged  his ''[[Die Ryk Weduwee]]'' in 1967. He wrote an Afrikaans version of ''King Lear'' which was staged at the Pretoria [[State Theatre]] and the [[Civic Theatre|Civic]] in 1990. [TH, JH]
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=== As playwright ===
 +
 
 +
In 1938 he won the playwrighting competition organised in 1938 by the [[Krugersdorp Municipal Dramatic and Operatic Society]] ([[KMDOS]]) for the Centennial celebrations of the Great Trek, with his full length play ''[[Magdalena Retief]]'' (1938).  
 +
 
 +
'''THE PLAYS'''  
  
−
=== Plays ===
 
 
''[[Magdalena Retief]]'' - full-length (1938)
 
''[[Magdalena Retief]]'' - full-length (1938)
−
   
 
−
''[[Die Goue Kring]]'' - full-length (1956)
 
  
 +
''[[Die Arrestasie]]'' - one-act (1938)
 +
 +
''[[Die Wit Muur]]'' - one-act (1940)
 +
 +
''[[Alle Paaie gaan na Rome]]'' - one-act (1949)
 +
 +
''[[Die Grootkanonne]]'' - one-act (1949) (Translated by the author into English as ''[[The Big Shots]]'')
 +
 +
''[[Fuente Sagrada]]'' - one-act (1949)
 +
 +
''[[Die Sluipskutter]]'' (also titled ''[[Die Skerpskutter]]'')  - one-act (1951) (translated by the author into English as ''[[The Sniper]]'' in 1962)
 +
 +
''[[Die Ryk Weduwee]]'' - full-length (1953)
 +
 +
''[[Die Goue Kring]]'' - full-length (1956)
 +
 +
''[[Die Loodswaaiers]]'' a comedy - on stage for the first time in 1966.
 +
 +
''[[Muur van die Dood]]'' (1968)
 +
 +
''[[Die Ongeskrewe Stuk]]'' (1970)
 +
 +
''[[Die Twee Lampe]]'' (1976)
 +
 +
''[[Vier Eenbedrywe]]'' (1968)
 +
 +
===As translator===
 +
 +
A fine and prolific translator, he translated a number of his own one act plays into English himself  (published in two collections by HAUM in 1964, namely ''[[The Sniper]]'' and other one-act plays and ''[[The Two Lamps]]''). His many translations from English and other European languages include Shakespeare’s ''[[Twaalfde Nag]]'' (''Twelfth Night''), ''[[Koning Lear]]'' (''King Lear'') , ''[[Die Vasvat van ‘n Feeks]]''??** (''The Taming of a Shrew'')**. He also translated Spanish and French plays, including Lorca's ''[[Die Huis van Bernarda Alba]]'' (''The House of Bernarda Alba''), ''[[Yerma]]'', and  ***, and Anouilh's ***, **, **.
 +
 +
=== Film ===
 +
 +
Uys Krige was only marginally involved in film, but in 1944 he, [[Nan Munro]] and [[Leon Schauder]] made the short ''[[Words in Darkness]]'' at [[Alpha Film Studios]].  The film is something of a curiosity in that all the characters are individuals who have died in the fight against fascism.  In contrast, he wrote the script for ''[[Salute to the Voortrekkers]]'' / ''[[Hulde aan die Voortrekkers]]'', a 1949 documentary made on the occasion of the opening of the Voortrekker Monument.  Directed by [[Geoffrey Smith]] who, at the time was the Chairman of the [[Cape Town Film Society]], and edited by [[Emil Nofal]], it was produced by Shell in association with [[African Film Productions]].
 +
 +
There have been at least two documentaries about him: ''[[Uys Krige]]'' (1976), directed by [[Pierre Joubert]] at the [[National Film Board of South Africa]] for the [[Department of National Education]], and ''[[Uys Krige: Sol y Sombra]]'' (1984), directed by [[Pierre Marais]] for the [[SABC]]. In the Dutch film ''[[Black Butterflies]]'', a dramatised biography of [[Ingrid Jonker]] directed by Paula van der Oest, his character was played by actor [[Graham Clarke]].  The cinematographer [[Tai Krige]] is his son.
 +
 +
=== Television ===
  
 +
In 1962 the playwright and theatre director [[Tone Brulin]] produced a film version of Krige’s one-act play ''[[Die Sluipskutter]]'' for Belgian Television.  In 1976 [[Jan Engelen]] produced ''[[Die Arrestasie]]'' for the [[SABC]] and in 1977 [[Dirk de Villiers]]’s [[C-Films]] produced ''[[Die Ryk Weduwee]]'' for the [[SABC]] with a cast consisting of everyone who had appeared in the previous year’s [[CAPAB]] production, but with [[Sandra Kotzé]] taking over the title role from [[Babs Laker]].
  
 +
===Other contributions===
  
 +
On occasion acted as adjudicator for the [[FATSSA]] Play Festival.
  
−
One-act plays:
+
===Influence on later theatre events===
  
−
    Die wit muur (The white wall), 1940
+
In 2002 [[John Kannemeyer|J.C. Kannemeyer]] published a biography on Krige, called ''Die Goue Seun'' ("The Golden Boy") and in the same year an immensely successful biopic-play (''[[Die Goue Seun]]''), based on the book and Krige's works, was produced by his niece, the actress [[Grethe Fox]] and directed by [[Marthinus Basson]]. 
−
    Alle paaie gaan na Rome (All roads lead to Rome), 1949
 
−
    Die sluipskutter, 1951 (translated by the author as "The sniper" in 1962)
 
  
  
 +
[TH, JH]
  
 +
== Awards, etc. ==
  
 +
1951 & 1971: [[Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns]] Award for poetry translation.
  
 +
1956, 1969, 1972 & 1981: [[Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns]] Award for drama translations.
  
−
== Awards ==
 
 
1974: [[Hertzog Prize]] for [[Afrikaans]] Poetry.
 
1974: [[Hertzog Prize]] for [[Afrikaans]] Poetry.
  
 
1985: [[Hertzog Prize]] for [[Afrikaans]] Drama.
 
1985: [[Hertzog Prize]] for [[Afrikaans]] Drama.
 +
 +
Honorary Doctorates awarded by the [[University of Natal]], [[Rhodes University]] and the [[University of Stellenbosch]].
 +
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
Line 48: Line 103:
  
 
Tucker, 1997
 
Tucker, 1997
 +
 +
''Stellenbosch Writers'' [http://www.stellenboschwriters.com/krigeuys.html]
  
 
''Wikipedia'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uys_Krige]
 
''Wikipedia'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uys_Krige]
  
 
''Afrikaans Wikipedia'' [https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uys_Krige]
 
''Afrikaans Wikipedia'' [https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uys_Krige]
 +
 +
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Uys-Krige#ref1298557
 +
 +
[[Erika Terblanche]] "Uys Krige (1910–1987)" ''[[ATKV]]|[[LitNet]]-Skrywersalbum'' 2017-06-22[https://www.litnet.co.za/uys-krige-1910-1987/]
  
 
Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]
 
Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

Latest revision as of 15:23, 19 September 2024

Uys Krige (1910–1987) was a versatile South African journalist, war correspondent, poet, playwright, translator and novelist, who wrote in both Afrikaans and English.

He was also a prolific sportsman and a famously gregarious conversationalist.

Biography

Youth

Born Mattheus Uys Krige on 4 February 1910 on the farm Bontebokskloof, near Swellendam in the Cape Province. His father was the famous Springbok rugby centre, Japie Krige. Uys attended school in Cape Town and Stellenbosch

Training

He studied law at the University of Stellenbosch.

Career

After graduating from university he became a journalist and started his career as a reporter for The Rand Daily Mail [1] and later as literature editor at the newspaper Die Suiderstem. He spent a considerable time in Europe, where he was a correspondent during the Spanish Civil War, was later captured during WWII, only to escape from his Italian prisoner-of-war camp.

Back in South Africa Uys Krige dedicated his time mainly to writing and settled first in Johannesburg, then in Cape Town. His interest in theatre and drama was stimulated when he married the South African actress Lydia Lindeque in 1937 - they were divorced seven years later.

Finally he settled in Onrusrivier near Hermanus in the Cape Province as one of the founding members of an artists' colony there. This is where he lived for the last 18 years of his life. Uys Krige died on 10 August 1987.

Writing

War is a dominant theme in much of his writing. While some of his work was originally written in English, notably the full-length play The Two Lamps (1964) and the two autobiographical accounts The Way Out (1947) and Orphan of the Desert (1967), Krige is known primarily for his Afrikaans poetry, his Afrikaans translations of verse and plays from especially French and Spanish, and his Afrikaans one-act plays (most of which he himself also translated into English) and some of his full-lenth work.

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

As playwright

In 1938 he won the playwrighting competition organised in 1938 by the Krugersdorp Municipal Dramatic and Operatic Society (KMDOS) for the Centennial celebrations of the Great Trek, with his full length play Magdalena Retief (1938).

THE PLAYS

Magdalena Retief - full-length (1938)

Die Arrestasie - one-act (1938)

Die Wit Muur - one-act (1940)

Alle Paaie gaan na Rome - one-act (1949)

Die Grootkanonne - one-act (1949) (Translated by the author into English as The Big Shots)

Fuente Sagrada - one-act (1949)

Die Sluipskutter (also titled Die Skerpskutter) - one-act (1951) (translated by the author into English as The Sniper in 1962)

Die Ryk Weduwee - full-length (1953)

Die Goue Kring - full-length (1956)

Die Loodswaaiers a comedy - on stage for the first time in 1966.

Muur van die Dood (1968)

Die Ongeskrewe Stuk (1970)

Die Twee Lampe (1976)

Vier Eenbedrywe (1968)

As translator

A fine and prolific translator, he translated a number of his own one act plays into English himself (published in two collections by HAUM in 1964, namely The Sniper and other one-act plays and The Two Lamps). His many translations from English and other European languages include Shakespeare’s Twaalfde Nag (Twelfth Night), Koning Lear (King Lear) , Die Vasvat van ‘n Feeks??** (The Taming of a Shrew)**. He also translated Spanish and French plays, including Lorca's Die Huis van Bernarda Alba (The House of Bernarda Alba), Yerma, and ***, and Anouilh's ***, **, **.

Film

Uys Krige was only marginally involved in film, but in 1944 he, Nan Munro and Leon Schauder made the short Words in Darkness at Alpha Film Studios. The film is something of a curiosity in that all the characters are individuals who have died in the fight against fascism. In contrast, he wrote the script for Salute to the Voortrekkers / Hulde aan die Voortrekkers, a 1949 documentary made on the occasion of the opening of the Voortrekker Monument. Directed by Geoffrey Smith who, at the time was the Chairman of the Cape Town Film Society, and edited by Emil Nofal, it was produced by Shell in association with African Film Productions.

There have been at least two documentaries about him: Uys Krige (1976), directed by Pierre Joubert at the National Film Board of South Africa for the Department of National Education, and Uys Krige: Sol y Sombra (1984), directed by Pierre Marais for the SABC. In the Dutch film Black Butterflies, a dramatised biography of Ingrid Jonker directed by Paula van der Oest, his character was played by actor Graham Clarke. The cinematographer Tai Krige is his son.

Television

In 1962 the playwright and theatre director Tone Brulin produced a film version of Krige’s one-act play Die Sluipskutter for Belgian Television. In 1976 Jan Engelen produced Die Arrestasie for the SABC and in 1977 Dirk de Villiers’s C-Films produced Die Ryk Weduwee for the SABC with a cast consisting of everyone who had appeared in the previous year’s CAPAB production, but with Sandra Kotzé taking over the title role from Babs Laker.

Other contributions

On occasion acted as adjudicator for the FATSSA Play Festival.

Influence on later theatre events

In 2002 J.C. Kannemeyer published a biography on Krige, called Die Goue Seun ("The Golden Boy") and in the same year an immensely successful biopic-play (Die Goue Seun), based on the book and Krige's works, was produced by his niece, the actress Grethe Fox and directed by Marthinus Basson.


[TH, JH]

Awards, etc.

1951 & 1971: Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns Award for poetry translation.

1956, 1969, 1972 & 1981: Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns Award for drama translations.

1974: Hertzog Prize for Afrikaans Poetry.

1985: Hertzog Prize for Afrikaans Drama.

Honorary Doctorates awarded by the University of Natal, Rhodes University and the University of Stellenbosch.


Sources

Du Toit, 1988

Tucker, 1997

Stellenbosch Writers [2]

Wikipedia [3]

Afrikaans Wikipedia [4]

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Uys-Krige#ref1298557

Erika Terblanche "Uys Krige (1910–1987)" ATKV|LitNet-Skrywersalbum 2017-06-22[5]

Go to ESAT Bibliography

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Return to ESAT Personalities K

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

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