Graham Hopkins

Graham Hopkins (19*-). Actor, playwright and director.

Training

BA Degree, Natal, 1979.

Career

He was a mathematics teacher before he joined PACT in 1983. He was seen in the BBC film Bravo Two Zero (1998) and in Place of the Lion.

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

Among his major roles are **, "Yvan" in Art , ***, **?? Wild Honey, Strider, Social Security, Looking Glass. He starred in Tom Stoppard’s Hapgood at the Alexander in 1989. He starred in Macbeth under Dieter Reible’s direction in 1990. He starred in My Fair Lady at the State Theatre in 1990. He directed and acted in Panics, 1991. He starred in John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation in 1992. He starred in George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion in 1994. Life's a Pitch, (Paul Slabolepszy, 1998) *** Race (Mamet, Grahamstown Festival, 2012)

His first production for Pieter Toerien was in See How They Run in 1988 as The Reverend Lionel Toop.

Night Sky 1992, Felix in The Odd Couple 1997, Crashing the Night 2000. Also performed in Yasmina Reza's Life X 3 in 2001.

Quoted from the programme notes of Honour wherein he played the role of George in 2004: 'Graham Hopkins has been acting professionally for twenty-one years. Memorable roles include Cecil John Rhodes in the TV series Barney Barnato; Bruce in the South African film: The Native Who Caused All the Trouble; Henry Higgins in the 1990 State Theatre production of My Fair Lady; Ruben Thinners in Robert Kirby's Panics; Graham Whitaker in Alan Bennett's Talking Heads; Urgentino in the Market Theatre production of Howard Barker's Scenes from an Execution; Parchester in the 1995 UK tour with the English production of Me and My Girl; Richard Hopcroft in Paul Slabolepszy's cricket comedy, Life's a Pitch and Gavin Hood's South African film, A Reasonable Man. More recent productions include the film Stander and Paul Slabolepszy's golfing play, Whole in One, which played a short season a the Theatre on the Bay this year (2004). For Pieter Toerien, Graham has played in Six Degrees of Seperation and Art, for which he won a Fleur du Cap Award. Graham and his wife Bev Elgie has a son called Thomas.'

Played the role of Salvatore in the revival of Paul Slabolepszy's My Low-Fat, Almost Italian Wedding (formerly known as Victoria Almost Falls) at the end of 2013.

Graham directed Decadence presented by the Troupe Theatre Company at the Catalina Theatre in 2003'

Awards, etc

1987 Vita Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Looking Glass.

Nominee 1991 Hopkins, Graham in My Fair Lady (Gallo Award for best performance in a musical);

"Yvan" in Art Fleur du Cap Theatre Award, Best Actor 1998

Nominations: FNB Vita Gauteng 1996: Hopkins, Graham : An Interview; Hotline; Death Defying Acts [best lead actor]; all with Dorothy-Ann Gould.

Hopkins, Graham : The Crucible [best supporting actor

Natal 1991/1992 IGI Life Vita Hopkins, Graham : Panics [script: Robert Kirby] [best director

Hopkins, Graham in Panics [script: Robert Kirby] [best lead actor

1998 Fleur du Cap G H in Art Best Actor

Sources

Beeld Plus, 2 June 2001.

Honour programme notes in 2004.

See How They Run programme, 1988.

Various entries in the NELM catalogue.

Tucker, 1997.

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