Paul Eilers

Paul Eilers (1945-2019). Actor, director and radio personality.

Biography

He died in Oudtshoorn on 28 June 2019 at the age of 74.

Career

In 1963 joined the Johan Fourie-toneelgeselskap (theatre company) and toured the country with them for 3 years as company manager, stage manager and bit part player. Worked for all the Performing Arts Councils between 1963 and 1972, as stage manager, actor and director, doing more than 100 performances for CAPAB and being a mainstay of PACOFS in the years 1968-1970.

In 1972 he joined the Afrikaans service of the SABC in Johannesburg and in 1981 became a free-lance radio announcer and actor, TV actor and director. Also marketing manager for the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees from 1996 . In the early 1990’s he returned to the stage. In 2005 returns formally to the stage after a break of 20 years.

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

Performances on stage include Putsonderwater (Bartho Smit), Mattewis en Meraai (P.G. du Plessis), Kinkels innie Kabel (Shakespeare/ Brink), Siener in die Suburbs (P.G. du Plessis), The Tempest (Shakespeare), Die Laaste van die Takhare (C.J. Langenhoven).

He has also appeared in Die Dubbele Adelaar (1968), Bart Nel, Hotel Paradiso, The Importance of Being Earnest, Jan en die Boontjierank, Picnic in Town, Die Bekentenis, Antigone (by Sophocles), Vrijdag

He directed Die Proponentjie in 2010.

In 2005 he returned formally to the stage after a break of 20 years with an award-winning performance as the lead in Pieter Fourie’s Faan se Trein, following it with Faan se Stasie in 2006, and Brief van die Harlekyn in 2007.

He had a role in the TV series Willem.

Sources

Various entries in the NELM catalogue.

Interview with Hanlie Retief published in Rapport, 3 March 2013.

Obituary, Die Burger, 1 July 2019.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

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