Difference between revisions of "Dimetos"

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A play by [[Athol Fugard]].   
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''Dimetos'' is a play by [[Athol Fugard]].   
  
 
== The original text ==
 
== The original text ==
  
Deeply metaphoric play about duty and creativity, it is based on a concept taken from the Notebooks of Albert Camus, and presented as the story of the relationship between a civil engineer and his niece.  
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Deeply metaphoric and not always well understood play, ''Dimetos'' is set in Greece. It utilizes what Fugard has called a "personal myth"  inspired by a short entry in the notebooks of Algerian philosopher, author, and journalist Albert Camus (1913-1960) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Camus], to look at notions of creativity, duty and the destructive forces of human passion.
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Originally commissioned for the 1975 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Festival Edinburgh Festival], performed by [[Yvonne Bryceland]] and the [[Serpent Players]], where it officially opened in the Church Hill Theatre in Edinburgh on 27 August 1975. The text was revised in 1976.  
  
Commissioned for the 1975 Edinburgh Festival[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Festival Edinburgh Festival].
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First published in ''[[Dimetos]] and Two Early Plays'' by [[Oxford University Press]], 1977.
 
 
First published in ''Dimetos, and, Two early plays'' by Athol Fugard. Oxford University Press, 1977. The play opened at the Edinburgh Festival on 27 August 1975.
 
  
 
==Translations and adaptations==
 
==Translations and adaptations==
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== Performance history in South Africa ==
 
== Performance history in South Africa ==
  
1975: The first production directed and designed by Fugard, with [[Carel Trichardt]] (Dimetos, an engineer), [[Vanessa Cooke]] (Lydia, his niece), [[Yvonne Bryceland]] (Sophia, their housekeeper) and [[Wilson Dunster]] (Danilo, a young man from the city). Lighting and stage management by [[Dimitri Nicolas-Fanourakis]]. The production first ran at [[The Space]] (Cape Town) during final rehearsals, while Fugard still changed, wrote and re-wrote much of it. The official opening was at the Edinburgh Festival in 1975, after which it rerurned to play at **
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1975: The first production directed and designed by Fugard, with [[Carel Trichardt]] (Dimetos, an engineer), [[Vanessa Cooke]] (Lydia, his niece), [[Yvonne Bryceland]] (Sophia, their housekeeper) and [[Wilson Dunster]] (Danilo, a young man from the city), from 4 - 9 August 1975. Lighting and stage management by [[Dimitri Nicolas-Fanourakis]]. The production first ran at [[The Space]] (Cape Town) during final rehearsals, while Fugard still changed, wrote and re-wrote much of it. The official opening was at the Edinburgh Festival in 1975.
  
1981: Presented by [[Minotaurus]] at the [[People's Space]] directed by [[Dieter Reible]], staged by [[Raimond Schoop]], opening 21 December 1981 starring [[Marius Weyers]](Dimetos), [[Trix Pienaar]] (Sophia), [[Mitzi Booysen]] (Lydia) and [[Blaise Koch]] (Danilo).
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1981: Presented by [[Minotaurus]] at the [[People's Space]] directed by [[Dieter Reible]], staged by [[Raimond Schoop]], opening 21 December 1981 starring [[Marius Weyers]] (Dimetos), [[Trix Pienaar]] (Sophia), [[Mitzi Booysen]] (Lydia) and [[Blaise Koch]] (Danilo).
  
 
1982: A [[Market Theatre]] production of ''Dimetos'' directed by [[Dieter Reible]] opened 19 April 1982 [[Upstairs at the Market]]. (Same production?)
 
1982: A [[Market Theatre]] production of ''Dimetos'' directed by [[Dieter Reible]] opened 19 April 1982 [[Upstairs at the Market]]. (Same production?)
  
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== International productions ==
  
== International productions ==
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1976: Performed at the Comedy Theatre, London, in 1976, directed by Fugard, with Paul Scofield as  Dimetos.
  
1976: {Performed in London in 1976, directed by Fugard with Paul Scofield as  Dimetos.  
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2002: Presented by the Berkshire Theater Festival at The Unicorn Theater, Stockbridge, Massachusetts,  directed by Peter Wallace with Eric Hill , Tara Franklin , Anne O'Sullivan and Jeremy Davidson.
  
2009: Performed at the Donmar Warehouse, London, with Jonathan Pryce and Holliday Grainger in the lead.
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2009: Performed at the Donmar Warehouse, London, with Jonathan Pryce and Holliday Grainger in the lead.
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
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''Readout: the Space club newsletter'' No.17 for June 1975
  
 
''Dimetos'' theatre programmes 1975 and 1981
 
''Dimetos'' theatre programmes 1975 and 1981
  
 
Newspaper reviews of the Church Hill Theatre/ Edinburgh Festival production of Dimetos - 1975 ([[NELM]])
 
Newspaper reviews of the Church Hill Theatre/ Edinburgh Festival production of Dimetos - 1975 ([[NELM]])
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Review: ''Variety'', June 18, 2002[http://variety.com/2002/legit/reviews/dimetos-2-1200549014/]
  
 
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/mar/26/dimetos-donmar-warehouse-london
 
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/mar/26/dimetos-donmar-warehouse-london
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http://www.iainfisher.com/fugard/athol-fugard-plays-exile.html
 
http://www.iainfisher.com/fugard/athol-fugard-plays-exile.html
  
Dimetos (2009) Keith Sagar in  www.keithsagar.co.uk/downloads/dimetos.doc
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http://www.keithsagar.co.uk/downloads/dimetos.doc
  
 
== Return to ==
 
== Return to ==

Latest revision as of 06:01, 28 January 2019

Dimetos is a play by Athol Fugard.

The original text

Deeply metaphoric and not always well understood play, Dimetos is set in Greece. It utilizes what Fugard has called a "personal myth" inspired by a short entry in the notebooks of Algerian philosopher, author, and journalist Albert Camus (1913-1960) [1], to look at notions of creativity, duty and the destructive forces of human passion.

Originally commissioned for the 1975 Edinburgh Festival, performed by Yvonne Bryceland and the Serpent Players, where it officially opened in the Church Hill Theatre in Edinburgh on 27 August 1975. The text was revised in 1976.

First published in Dimetos and Two Early Plays by Oxford University Press, 1977.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1975: The first production directed and designed by Fugard, with Carel Trichardt (Dimetos, an engineer), Vanessa Cooke (Lydia, his niece), Yvonne Bryceland (Sophia, their housekeeper) and Wilson Dunster (Danilo, a young man from the city), from 4 - 9 August 1975. Lighting and stage management by Dimitri Nicolas-Fanourakis. The production first ran at The Space (Cape Town) during final rehearsals, while Fugard still changed, wrote and re-wrote much of it. The official opening was at the Edinburgh Festival in 1975.

1981: Presented by Minotaurus at the People's Space directed by Dieter Reible, staged by Raimond Schoop, opening 21 December 1981 starring Marius Weyers (Dimetos), Trix Pienaar (Sophia), Mitzi Booysen (Lydia) and Blaise Koch (Danilo).

1982: A Market Theatre production of Dimetos directed by Dieter Reible opened 19 April 1982 Upstairs at the Market. (Same production?)

International productions

1976: Performed at the Comedy Theatre, London, in 1976, directed by Fugard, with Paul Scofield as Dimetos.

2002: Presented by the Berkshire Theater Festival at The Unicorn Theater, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, directed by Peter Wallace with Eric Hill , Tara Franklin , Anne O'Sullivan and Jeremy Davidson.

2009: Performed at the Donmar Warehouse, London, with Jonathan Pryce and Holliday Grainger in the lead.

Sources

Readout: the Space club newsletter No.17 for June 1975

Dimetos theatre programmes 1975 and 1981

Newspaper reviews of the Church Hill Theatre/ Edinburgh Festival production of Dimetos - 1975 (NELM)

Review: Variety, June 18, 2002[2]

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/mar/26/dimetos-donmar-warehouse-london

http://www.iainfisher.com/fugard/athol-fugard-plays-exile.html

http://www.keithsagar.co.uk/downloads/dimetos.doc

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