H.A. Fagan

Henry Allan (H.A.) Fagan (1889-1963) [1] was a well-known South African judge, journalist, politician, academic and a respected poet and playwright. Born in Tulbagh in the Cape Province. Studied law in Stellenbosch and London, and was at one time assistant editor of Die Burger and during 1938-9 a member of J.M.B. Hertzog’s cabinet (as minister for Native Affairs, Education and Social Welfare). Later objected to and wrote books protesting the inhumanity and impracticality of the segregationist policies of the Nationalist Party. Considered, along with Grosskopf, as the founder of the drama of social realism in Afrikaans. In August 1926 he was one of the founding members and first chairman of the Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging in Cape Town, a society which did two of his one-act plays – Rooibruin Blare and Ruwe Erts - in their first programme and later an early production of his play Lenie. Wrote six full-length and seven one-act plays, and they include Lenie (1924), Die Ouderling (“The Church Elder”) and Ousus (published in one volume in 1934). His one-act plays have also been very influential through their clearly delineated dramatic intrigue, naturalistic dialogue and tight structure. Awarded the 1936 Hertzog Prize for Drama for the collection of plays entitled Die Ouderling en ander toneelstukke. (“The Church Elder and other plays”) (Beukes and Lategan, 1961, Kannemeyer 1978, Binge, 1969; Du Toit, 1988) [TH, JH]

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