Difference between revisions of "Charles Etienne Boniface"
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | [[Charles Etienne Boniface]] ( | + | [[Charles Etienne Boniface]] (2 February 1787 – 10 December 1853) ) was an enormously talented, intelligent and abrasive dramatist, actor, theatre director, dancing instructor, linguist, language teacher, fencing teacher, composer and guitarist, music teacher. |
Often referred to as [[C.E. Boniface]] or simply as [[Boniface]]. Over the years he also worked under a number of pseudonyms, especially for his more polemical writing or his efforts at publicity and self-promotion. These include: [["Vyfstar of Wraak"]] *** and (possibly) [["Clavigo"]]. | Often referred to as [[C.E. Boniface]] or simply as [[Boniface]]. Over the years he also worked under a number of pseudonyms, especially for his more polemical writing or his efforts at publicity and self-promotion. These include: [["Vyfstar of Wraak"]] *** and (possibly) [["Clavigo"]]. | ||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
| − | Born in Paris, he | + | Born in Paris on 2 February 1787, he grew up a precocious child who, at "the age of twelve had a grounding in French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Latin, Greek, had written short dramas in the style of Molière, played the guitar and had learned to dance" (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Etienne_Boniface]) |
| + | |||
| + | In 1798 Sir Sidney Smith, who had apparently been helped by Boniface's father to escape French imprisonment, assisted the Boniface family to resettle in the Seychelles, where Boniface enrolled in as a cadet in the Royal Navy. When the Cape Colony was annexed once more by the British in 1806, Boniface made his way to Cape Town via Mozambique on board a Portuguese slave ship, arriving on 10 February 1806. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In the period 1807 to 1840 he lived and worked in Cape Town, where he managed to learn enough German, Dutch and English to work as a language and music teacher. He was the first person in the Cape Colony known to have noted down the local music. He would also play an enormous role in the development of journalism, theatre, and [[Dutch]] and [[Afrikaans]] theatre in particular, in Cape Town. Another key element in his make-up was his quick and unforgiving temper, which led to his uncomprimising and vicious feuds with a number of Capetonians, most notably with his former friend and colleague [[J. Suasso de Lima]]. | ||
In 1844 he fled to Pietermaritzburg, to help start the first newspaper in Natal ([[De Natalier]]) and practise as an advocate at law, although it is not known of he was involved in theatre whilst resident there. | In 1844 he fled to Pietermaritzburg, to help start the first newspaper in Natal ([[De Natalier]]) and practise as an advocate at law, although it is not known of he was involved in theatre whilst resident there. | ||
Revision as of 06:26, 31 July 2016
Charles Etienne Boniface (2 February 1787 – 10 December 1853) ) was an enormously talented, intelligent and abrasive dramatist, actor, theatre director, dancing instructor, linguist, language teacher, fencing teacher, composer and guitarist, music teacher.
Often referred to as C.E. Boniface or simply as Boniface. Over the years he also worked under a number of pseudonyms, especially for his more polemical writing or his efforts at publicity and self-promotion. These include: "Vyfstar of Wraak" *** and (possibly) "Clavigo".
Contents
Biography
Born in Paris on 2 February 1787, he grew up a precocious child who, at "the age of twelve had a grounding in French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Latin, Greek, had written short dramas in the style of Molière, played the guitar and had learned to dance" (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[1])
In 1798 Sir Sidney Smith, who had apparently been helped by Boniface's father to escape French imprisonment, assisted the Boniface family to resettle in the Seychelles, where Boniface enrolled in as a cadet in the Royal Navy. When the Cape Colony was annexed once more by the British in 1806, Boniface made his way to Cape Town via Mozambique on board a Portuguese slave ship, arriving on 10 February 1806.
In the period 1807 to 1840 he lived and worked in Cape Town, where he managed to learn enough German, Dutch and English to work as a language and music teacher. He was the first person in the Cape Colony known to have noted down the local music. He would also play an enormous role in the development of journalism, theatre, and Dutch and Afrikaans theatre in particular, in Cape Town. Another key element in his make-up was his quick and unforgiving temper, which led to his uncomprimising and vicious feuds with a number of Capetonians, most notably with his former friend and colleague J. Suasso de Lima.
In 1844 he fled to Pietermaritzburg, to help start the first newspaper in Natal (De Natalier) and practise as an advocate at law, although it is not known of he was involved in theatre whilst resident there.
Never really financially successful, he committed suicide in 1853.
His contribution to South African theatre and performance
While in Cape Town he founded a French Theatre Company and then became a leading figure in the French/Dutch company Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense. Besides being a fiery journalist, who was the first writer to use Afrikaans for journalistic purposes when he co-founded and edited De Zuid-Afrikaan in 1830, he also translated and wrote a number of plays in Dutch, Afrikaans and even English, many which he also also produced. For a while his feud with De Lima played a cardinal role in firing up his satiric imagination in poetry, journalism and drama.
He produced a number of “firsts”, including the first ballet in South Africa (Sappho), which was staged in the Cape, the first South African play in English: Kockincoz, or The Pettifogging Lawyer's Plot (1843) and De Nieuwe Ridderorde of De Temperantisten (also known simply as De Nieuwe Ridderorde or De Temperantisten - 1832), said to be the first play in Afrikaans-Dutch and possibly his best work.
Other works include poetry and the plays The Blamed Reputation, Het beleg en het nemen van Troyen, l’Enragé, Clasius stupidibus bavianus of Het proces om een komedielootjie (or simply Clasius -1834), the stories Bluettes franco-nataliennes and Le Latanier. He also translated and reworked plays by others, including Robert, Chef de Brigands , 'Dago (a ballet in 3 acts, 1819), De Burger Edelman (from Moliere), )
In his polemical writing he used various pseudonyms over the years, including "Vyfstar of Wraak". **
ALL THE PLAYS STILL TO BE EDITED
[TH, JH]
Sources
F.C.L. Bosman, 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [2]: pp. 5, 8, 44, 50-59, 84-92, 118-145, 163-179, 201, 233-4, 246-7, 257-267, 274-3339, 343-6, 351, 359-375, 392, 441, 452, 488-496, 510.
De Beer, 1995;
Jill Fletcher, 1994; Kannemeyer, 1978;
P.J. du Toit, 1988
Go to the ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to ESAT Personalities B
Return to South African Theatre Personalities
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
