Die Jaar van die Vuuros

Die Jaar van die Vuuros (lit. "The year of the fire-ox") is a 3 act Afrikaans play by W.A. de Klerk (1917-1996).

The original text

Set on a farm in South West Africa ("the land"), the play takes a complex and disturbing look at the Afrikaner and his relationship with the land, his English-speaking compatriots and the African claimants to the land.

Winner of the Afrikaans section of the Van Riebeeck Centenary Award, published in 1952 by both Tafelberg Uitgewers and Nasionale Boekhandel. De Klerk was awarded the prestigious Hertzog Prize for Literature for the play in the same year (jointly with Gerhard J. Beukes.) The play became a standard setwork text in schools for many years.

South African performances

1952: First performed by National Theatre Organisation as part of the Van Riebeeck Festival , playing for 191 nights. It opened in the Hofmeyr Theatre, and was directed by Hermien Dommisse and featured Jan Bruyns, Elma Krynauw, Danie Smuts, Eghard van der Hoven, Roma Reilly, Louw Verwey, Dawid van der Walt, Daan Retief, joined by Michal Grobbelaar and Marjorie Malan on tour.

Sources

Die Huisgenoot, 29 August 1952.

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