Jana Cilliers

Jana Cilliers (1950-) is a bilingual (Afrikaans-English) actress.

Biography

Born Johanna Wilhelmina Cilliers, the daughter of renowned artist Betty-Cilliers Barnard (1914-2010)[1] and Carel Hancke (Bags) Cilliers.

She involved herself in ballet, music and drama while still at school, and completed a BA degree at the University of Pretoria with majors in English, French and Theatre History. During this busy time she acted for the student theatre society called Persona, which she had helped found (playing "Lady Macbeth" for it at the age of 18 for example) and went on several tours with the Exploratio-vereniging ("Exploratio Society" - nowadays known as "TUKS-Exploratio"[2]).

Wanting to continue with a drama career, she auditioned for and was accepted by London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)[3]. On her return she would become part of the new generation of bilingual performers working in South African theatre and media.

She was married to film director and scriptwriter Regardt van den Bergh in the eighties and they had two daughters, actress Lika van den Bergh (aka Lika Berning) and Leán. After their divorce she married actor Bill Flynn (1948–2007).

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

Cilliers has worked for the various Performing Arts Councils, as well as the independent companies such as The Space in Cape Town, The Market Theatre in Johannesburg and Pieter Toerien Productions, as well as various companies in the radio, film and TV industries.

Her career in theatre

She has worked for a wide range of theatre companies over the years, gradually also establishing a major reputation for her superb one-woman performances in the late 1980s and 1990s. This led to her co-founding Opdrag Productions with her regular director at the time, Mark Graham, after the immense success of Opdrag: Ingrid Jonker (1998-9).

Among her many stage performances over the course of her career have been roles in:

1972: Luilummel en Flenterpiet (CAPAB),

1974: Kanna hy kô Hystoe (CAPAB)

1975: Don Juan (in Afrikaans, CAPAB), Twaalfde Nag (in Afrikaans, CAPAB),

1977: Die Vroue van Troje (Market Theatre), My Husband’s wild desires almost drove me mad (The Space),

1978: Twelfth Night, or What You Will Maynardville,

1979: Sly Fox (Gelbart), The Norman Conquests (Brickhill-Burke production, His Majesty's Theatre),

1983: Die Vasvat van 'n Feeks (The Taming of the Shrew in Afrikaans, PACT, as "Bianca"), Rain (CAPAB)

1985: Pous Johanna II

1986: Wild Honey , Snake Beneath the Rose, ,

1988: Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (as "Frankie", 1988),

1989: Die Groot Wit Roos (as "Lorna"),

1990: The Maintenance Man 1990

1991: Love Letters at the Richard Haines Theatre in September,

1994: The Glass Menagerie (Williams),

1995: In Praise of Love (as "Lydia", for Pieter Toerien)

1996: Master Class (as "Maria Callas"),

1998: Opdrag: Ingrid Jonker (1998-9), Yelena (De Wet), The Dance of Death (Strindberg),

1999: Antony and Cleopatra, (as Cleopatra, 1999),

2001: The American Popess, Play@Risk (Opdrag Productions)

2004: 1975 (Botha), The Breath of Life (2004),

2005: Romeo en Julia (Vleis, Rys en Aartappels),

2014: macbeth.slapeloos (2014).

As playwright

In 2024 she wrote and performed in her first play text, Veelhoek.

Television and film

Her television and film work has included:

Films: Die Vervlakste Tweeling (1969); Eendag op 'n Reëndag (1975); Plekkie in die son (1979), Game of Vultures (1979); Blink Stefaans (1981), Boetie Gaan Border Toe! (1984); Niemand weint für immer (1984); Quest for Love (1988); 'n Pot Vol Winter (1992); The Good Fascist (1992), The Visual Bible: Acts (Video series, 1994) Die Leeftyd van 'n Orgidee (short film, 2018);

TV dramas: La Musica (1976); Duet (1977); Salomé (1979); Skoppensboer (1984); City People (1985); A Private Life (1991).

TV series: Dokter, Dokter (1976); Sebastiaan Senior (1978); Phoenix & Kie (1979); Oh George! (1981); Die Dood Van Elmien Adler (1984); Screen Two (1989); Arende II: MoordenaarsKaroo]] (1992); Arende III: Dorsland (1993); MMG Engineers (1994); Feast of the Uninvited (2008); Die Boekklub (2017-).

Awards, etc

Nominated for Best Actress for Fleur du Cap 1978.

Nominated Fleur du Cap Cilliers, Jana for In Praise of Love [best actress], 1995.

Master Class (where she played Maria Callas, winning a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award, Best Actress, 1996), a Edinburgh Crystal Award and a national and several regional Vita Awards.

Vita Award (Cape Town region) Cilliers, Jana; Bezuidenhout, Aletta : [joint winners - best lead actress, award year 1997.

Vita award (Cape Town region) Jana Cilliers: The American popess; Best actress, 2002.

Sources

Burger, 4 January 1978.

SACD 1977/78; 1979/80.

Programme of Snake Beneath the Rose in 1986.

Various entries in the NELM catalogue.

Tucker, 1997.

Die Tukkie, November 2000.

Beeld Plus, 2 June 2001.

Kobus Burger. 2024. "Jama Cilliers lei 'n lewe van eenvoud", Plus 50June/July 2024: pp 8-11.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities C

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page