Difference between revisions of "Robin Malan"

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(194*-) Trained in English and Drama at University of Stellenbosch. Taught at [[University of Stellenbosch Drama Department]] in the 1970's, where he directed productions like ''[[Miss Los Istrata]]'' (1972) and ''[[The Fall and Redemption of Man]]'' (1973). Worked at the [[Space Theatre]] in the early 1970s, devising [[Workplay]] and directing ''[[A Phoenix too Frequent]]'' and ''[[Skyvers/Jollers]]'' for them, and acting as a judge for the one-act play competition held in 1972-3. Joined [[PACT]] in 1973. In 1974 Malan became director of [[PACT Playwork]].  He created a symbiotic unity of theatre and education by making Theatre in Education (TIE) the basis of their work.  Instead of presenting dramatized versions of literary texts prescribed to schools, the texts were use to address socio-political issues.  He also directed children’s plays such as ''[[Old King Cole]]'' (written by [[Ken Campbell]]) and ''[[Winnie the Pooh]]'' ([[A.A. Milne]]) for the company. Management policy and rules laid down by education department led to Malan’s resignation in 1978. He then moved to Botswana to teach at **. Has written a number of books and plays, plus collections of plays. These include the hilarious skit on South African English called ''[[Ah Beg Yaws**]]'' by “Rawbone Malong”, and the collections Play Workshop (Oxford University Press, 1975), *. One of the founding editors of the short-lived theatre journal [[Theatre/Teater SA]] (197*-197*).  In 199* he returned to South Africa, settling in Cape Town. ??? Junkets and Robin Malan. Junkets Publisher is a small-scale publisher based in Cape Town, South Africa, formed to publish my novel 'Rebel Angel' in 2005, in association with Snailpress. I have worked in English teaching and theatre-in-education all my life. I was artistic Director of PACT Playwork theatre-in-education company, was Assistant Head at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College in Swaziland, and ran a specialist bookshop in Mbabane, Swaziland. I have taught in the Department of Drama at Stellenbosch University and tutored in the English Department at the University of Cape Town. I now live in Cape Town, where I do volunteer work for Triangle Project and write a monthly column ‘Young Gay Guys’ for Exit newspaper. I was one of the founding editors of English Alive, am the Series Editor for the Siyagruva Series of novels for South African teens, and was awarded the Molteno Medal for lifetime service to literature by the Cape 300 Foundation. An interest in John Keats springs from the reading of virtually all the biographies, and certainly the letters, rather than from any overwhelming love of the whole of the large body of the poetry.  
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[[Robin Malan]] (1940-2024). Actor, writer, editor, director, teacher, publisher.
  
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Awarded the [[English Academy of Southern Africa]]'s Gold Medal for 2014 for his services to English
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== Biography ==
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over a long career in education and theatre.
 
  
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Born in Johannesburg on April 11, 1940, going on to take degrees in Arts and Education at [[UCT]], he trained in the [[University of Cape Town Drama Department|Speech and Drama Department]].
  
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Return to [[ESAT Personalities M]]
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Since then he worked in English teaching and theatre-in-education all his life.
 +
 
 +
He worked at the [[Space Theatre]] in the early 1970s. He taught at [[University of Stellenbosch Drama Department]] in the 1970's and tutored in the English Department at the [[University of Cape Town]].
 +
 
 +
In 1974, Malan became artistic director of [[PACT Playwork]] theatre-in-education company.  He created a symbiotic unity of theatre and education by making Theatre in Education (TIE) the basis of their work.  Instead of presenting dramatized versions of literary texts prescribed to schools, the texts were use to address socio-political issues. Management policy and rules laid down by education department led to Malan’s resignation in 1978.  He was Assistant Head at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College in Swaziland, and ran a specialist bookshop in Mbabane, Swaziland. He then moved to Botswana to teach at **.
 +
 
 +
In 199* he returned to South Africa, settling in Cape Town where he volunteered for [[Triangle Project]] and wrote a monthly column ‘Young Gay Guys’ for ''Exit'' newspaper. He  was one of the founding editors of ''[[English Alive]]'', and the Series Editor for the ''[[Siyagruva]]'' series of novels for South African teens.
 +
 
 +
He passed away in 2024, a memorial was held for him at [[Theatre Arts]] on the 8th October.
 +
 
 +
==Publication==
 +
 
 +
A prolific author, famous for his satirical book on South African English called ''Ah Big Yaws?: A Guard to Sow Theffricun Innglissh'', the famous poetry anthologies ''Inscapes'', ''New Inscapes'' and ''Worldscapes''; prose collections such as ''Being here: Modern short stories from Southern Africa'', ''New Beginnings: Short Stories from Southern Africa'' and ''No Place Like and Other Short Stories'' by Southern African Women Writers, as well as various collections of writings by and about gay men.
 +
 
 +
Contributions to literary history include ''Ourselves in Southern Africa: An Anthology of Southern African Writing'', ''Burning a Hole in the Page: A Reader's Guide to 70 South African Writers''.
 +
 
 +
In 2005, he founded [[Junkets]], a small-scale publisher based in Cape Town, South Africa, in association with [[Snailpress]], in order to publish his novel ''Rebel Angel''. Since the Malan made an invaluable contribution by being instrumental in publishing numerous volumes of poetry, plays and novels under the [[Junkets]] imprint that may never have appeared in print.
 +
 
 +
'''For a listing of some of his many books, see the ''[[Goodreads]]''[https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/63667.Robin_Malan?page=1&per_page=30] website.'''
 +
 
 +
==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
 +
 
 +
===Work in theatre===
 +
 
 +
Since 1959 he played many roles at the [[Little Theatre]], Cape Town. He was very active in youth theatre and was one of the forces behind the organising of the [[Theatre for Youth]] Winter School of Drama in 1964.
 +
 
 +
He appeared on stage in ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' (1962-3), ''[[Periandros van Korinthe]]'', ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank]]'', ''[[King Lear]]'' ([[Maynardville]] 1966), ''[[Major Barbara]]''. He acted in ''[[Les Fourberies de Scapin|That Skelm Scapino]]'' (1976).
 +
 
 +
===As director===
 +
 
 +
He directed a number of productions, including:
 +
 
 +
1960: ''[[Iphigenia in Tauris]]'' ([[UCT Dramatic Society]])
 +
 
 +
1961: ''[[The Angry Old Man]]'' ([[UCT Dramatic Society]])
 +
 
 +
1962: ''[['Tis Pity She's a Whore]]'' ([[UCT Dramatic Society]])
 +
 +
1972: ''[[Miss Los Istrata]]'' ([[Stellenbosch University Drama Department]])
 +
 
 +
1972: ''[[Workplay]]'' ([[Space Theatre]])
 +
 
 +
1972: ''[[A Phoenix too Frequent]]'' ([[Space Theatre]])
 +
 
 +
1972: ''[[Skyvers/Jollers]]'' (Malan's own adaptation, [[Space Theatre]])
 +
 
 +
1972:  ''[[Tom Thumb, or The Tragedy of Tragedies]]'' ([[CAPAB]])
 +
 
 +
1973: ''[[The Fall and Redemption of Man]]'' ([[University Theatre Stellenbosch]])
 +
 
 +
1975:  ''[[The Exception and the Rule]]'' ([[PACT Playwork]])
 +
 
 +
1975: ''[[Old King Cole]]'' ([[PACT Playwork]])
 +
 
 +
1976: ''[[Winnie the Pooh]]'' ([[PACT Playwork]])
 +
 
 +
1976: ''[[Les Fourberies de Scapin|That Skelm Scapino]]'' ([[PACT]])
 +
 
 +
''[[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]]'', ''[[When Thou Art King]]''
 +
 
 +
He acted as a judge for the one-act play competition held in 1972-3.
 +
 
 +
===As playwright===
 +
 
 +
He wrote and adapted a number of works for theatre. These include:
 +
 
 +
* ''[[Workplay]]'' (1972)
 +
 
 +
* ''[[Miss Los Istrata]]'' (a bilingual South African adaptation of ''[[Lysistrata]]'', 1972)
 +
 
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* ''[[iHamlet]]'' (2012)
 +
 
 +
=== Plays and Theatre publications===
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One of the founding editors of the short-lived theatre journal ''[[Teater/Theatre SA]]'' (1968/69).
 +
 
 +
His play collections are ''[[Play Workshop. Ten One Act Plays]]'', ''[[The Distance Remains and Other Plays]]'', S.A. Gay Plays 1: The Artscape Dublin Festival Plays, Short, Sharp & Snappy 1: Southern African Plays for High Schools
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Books about theatre matters, ''[[Drama-teach; drama-in-education and theatre for young people]]'',
 +
 
 +
==Awards==
 +
He received the Molteno Medal for lifetime service to literature by the Cape 300 Foundation.
 +
 
 +
Awarded the [[English Academy of Southern Africa]]'s Gold Medal for 2014 for his services to English over a long career in education and theatre.
 +
 
 +
== Sources ==
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/63667.Robin_Malan
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https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-10-04-in-memoriam-robin-malan-rebel-angel/
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 +
https://bookslive.co.za/blog/2015/04/28/robin-malan-awarded-the-english-academy-of-southern-africas-highest-honour/.
 +
 
 +
Books by [[Robin Malan]], [[Goodreads]][https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/63667.Robin_Malan?page=1&per_page=30]
 +
 
 +
Various entries in the [[NELM]] catalogue.
 +
 
 +
== Return to ==
 +
 
 +
Return to [[ESAT Personalities M]]  
  
 
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
 
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
 +
 +
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
  
 
Return to [[Main Page]]
 
Return to [[Main Page]]

Latest revision as of 12:13, 11 June 2026

Robin Malan (1940-2024). Actor, writer, editor, director, teacher, publisher.

Biography

Born in Johannesburg on April 11, 1940, going on to take degrees in Arts and Education at UCT, he trained in the Speech and Drama Department.

Since then he worked in English teaching and theatre-in-education all his life.

He worked at the Space Theatre in the early 1970s. He taught at University of Stellenbosch Drama Department in the 1970's and tutored in the English Department at the University of Cape Town.

In 1974, Malan became artistic director of PACT Playwork theatre-in-education company. He created a symbiotic unity of theatre and education by making Theatre in Education (TIE) the basis of their work. Instead of presenting dramatized versions of literary texts prescribed to schools, the texts were use to address socio-political issues. Management policy and rules laid down by education department led to Malan’s resignation in 1978. He was Assistant Head at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College in Swaziland, and ran a specialist bookshop in Mbabane, Swaziland. He then moved to Botswana to teach at **.

In 199* he returned to South Africa, settling in Cape Town where he volunteered for Triangle Project and wrote a monthly column ‘Young Gay Guys’ for Exit newspaper. He was one of the founding editors of English Alive, and the Series Editor for the Siyagruva series of novels for South African teens.

He passed away in 2024, a memorial was held for him at Theatre Arts on the 8th October.

Publication

A prolific author, famous for his satirical book on South African English called Ah Big Yaws?: A Guard to Sow Theffricun Innglissh, the famous poetry anthologies Inscapes, New Inscapes and Worldscapes; prose collections such as Being here: Modern short stories from Southern Africa, New Beginnings: Short Stories from Southern Africa and No Place Like and Other Short Stories by Southern African Women Writers, as well as various collections of writings by and about gay men.

Contributions to literary history include Ourselves in Southern Africa: An Anthology of Southern African Writing, Burning a Hole in the Page: A Reader's Guide to 70 South African Writers.

In 2005, he founded Junkets, a small-scale publisher based in Cape Town, South Africa, in association with Snailpress, in order to publish his novel Rebel Angel. Since the Malan made an invaluable contribution by being instrumental in publishing numerous volumes of poetry, plays and novels under the Junkets imprint that may never have appeared in print.

For a listing of some of his many books, see the Goodreads[1] website.

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

Work in theatre

Since 1959 he played many roles at the Little Theatre, Cape Town. He was very active in youth theatre and was one of the forces behind the organising of the Theatre for Youth Winter School of Drama in 1964.

He appeared on stage in Death of a Salesman (1962-3), Periandros van Korinthe, The Diary of Anne Frank, King Lear (Maynardville 1966), Major Barbara. He acted in That Skelm Scapino (1976).

As director

He directed a number of productions, including:

1960: Iphigenia in Tauris (UCT Dramatic Society)

1961: The Angry Old Man (UCT Dramatic Society)

1962: 'Tis Pity She's a Whore (UCT Dramatic Society)

1972: Miss Los Istrata (Stellenbosch University Drama Department)

1972: Workplay (Space Theatre)

1972: A Phoenix too Frequent (Space Theatre)

1972: Skyvers/Jollers (Malan's own adaptation, Space Theatre)

1972: Tom Thumb, or The Tragedy of Tragedies (CAPAB)

1973: The Fall and Redemption of Man (University Theatre Stellenbosch)

1975: The Exception and the Rule (PACT Playwork)

1975: Old King Cole (PACT Playwork)

1976: Winnie the Pooh (PACT Playwork)

1976: That Skelm Scapino (PACT)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, When Thou Art King

He acted as a judge for the one-act play competition held in 1972-3.

As playwright

He wrote and adapted a number of works for theatre. These include:

Plays and Theatre publications

One of the founding editors of the short-lived theatre journal Teater/Theatre SA (1968/69).

His play collections are Play Workshop. Ten One Act Plays, The Distance Remains and Other Plays, S.A. Gay Plays 1: The Artscape Dublin Festival Plays, Short, Sharp & Snappy 1: Southern African Plays for High Schools

Books about theatre matters, Drama-teach; drama-in-education and theatre for young people,

Awards

He received the Molteno Medal for lifetime service to literature by the Cape 300 Foundation.

Awarded the English Academy of Southern Africa's Gold Medal for 2014 for his services to English over a long career in education and theatre.

Sources

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/63667.Robin_Malan

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-10-04-in-memoriam-robin-malan-rebel-angel/

https://bookslive.co.za/blog/2015/04/28/robin-malan-awarded-the-english-academy-of-southern-africas-highest-honour/.

Books by Robin Malan, Goodreads[2]

Various entries in the NELM catalogue.

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities M

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page

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