'Buckingham Palace', District Six

'Buckingham Palace', District Six is the name of a number of plays based on the eponymous novel by Richard Rive(1931-1989).

Also found written as Buckingham Palace, District Six or simply Buckingham Palace.

The original text

The novel 'Buckingham Palace', District Six was first published by in 1986.

It had begun as a 1984 newspaper story about a child’s Christmas in District Six, then evolved into a semi-autobiographical novel about a group of characters living in a row of houses called “Buckingham Palace” on Caledon Street in District Six, Cape Town.

The plays

Rive's original work has been adapted for the stage a number of times over the years.

In 1988 Rive himself agreed to adapt the story as a play for production by Hewat College

Adapted for the stage by Jill Fletcher as Buckingham Palace

Adapted for Artscape by Basil Appollis and Shaun Viljoen with the title 'Buckingham Palace', District Six (2000-2001)

Adapted for the stage by Ivan Abrahams with the title 'Buckingham Palace', District Six .

Adapted for the stage by Basil Appollis and Sylvia Vollenhoven with the title District 6 Our Buckingham Palace(2014).

A stage version was published for use in South African schools in the collection The Distance Remains and Other Plays, compiled by Robin Malan, Oxford University Press, 1996.

Performance history

1988: First performed by students of Hewat College, Cape Town, September, directed by Colleen Radus and Shaun Viljoen.

1989: Produced professionally by the Baxter Theatre opening 19 June 1989, with Wayne Bowman, Basil Appollis, Peter Butler, Theresa Cloete, Chico Levy, Denise Newman, Gail Reagon, Cyril Valentine, Peter van Minnen, Joey Wishnia and Vinette Ebrahim, directed by Fred Abrahamse. Design, decor and lighting by Brian Collins, costumes by Ann Sharfman and Linda Pheiffer.

2000-2001: Produced by Artscape in the Artscape Theatre on 6-21 April, 2001. Directed by Basil Appollis, with Basil Appolis, Shaleen Surtie-Richards, Denise Newman, Euodia Samson, Ilse Oppelt, Soli Philander, Kevin Smith, Jeroen Kranenburg, June van Merch, Royston Stoffels, André Samuels, Cyril Valentine, David Muller, Charlene Le Roux, Bronwyn van Graan, Theo Vilakazi and Natalie Yon. Décor design by Clement Robertson, costume design by Penny Simpson and lighting design by Faheem Bardien. (Chad Abrahams?)

2014: Performed as District 6 Our Buckingham Palace in London as part of South African Season at Jermyn Street Theatre during June and July. Produced by Basil Appollis and Sylvia Vollenhoven, directed by Sandra Temmingh, performed by Basil Appollis.

Sources

http://www.thesouthafrican.com/entertainment/theatre-review-district-6-our-buckingham-palace.htm

http://www.artlink.co.za/news_article.htm?contentID=14554

http://slipnet.co.za/view/reviews/richard-rive-wholly-local-fully-global/

https://www.sahistory.org.za/archive/resisting-apartheid-through-pen-and-paper-richard-rive-05-march-2018

Robin Malan. 1996.The Distance Remains and Other Plays, Cape Town: Oxford University Press.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays

Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays

Return to PLAYS III: Collections

Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances

Return to South African Festivals and Competitions

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page