Marguerite Isabel Murray

Marguerite Isabel Murray (1899-1983) was a teacher, lecturer, author, playwright, director and translator.

She published under the name M.I. Murray but was also credited as Marguerite I. Murray and seemingly referred to as Maxie Murray as well.

The Susie Mey Viljoen is one of her sisters.

Biography

Born Marguerite Isabel Murray on 3 January 1899 in Robertson in the Western Cape, as one of nine children of the Rev. John Murray and Susanna Maria Murray. She matriculated at the high school in Robertson in 1917 and 1918 studied at Victoria College in Stellenbosch, where she was a founding member and first chairwoman of the Women's Student Union and also served on the student council.

After qualifying as a language teacher, she initially taught in Kakamas, followed by four years at Bloemhof Girls' High School in Stellenbosch and six years at Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town. She was then appointed as a lecturer in Afrikaans in the Department of Education at the University of Cape Town, a position she held until her retirement in 1960. (The poet and playwright N.P. van Wyk Louw was a colleague in the department for a while.)

After her retirement, she lived in the retirement home Azaleahof in Stellenbosch till her passing on 25 July 1983.

Besides her interest in the Afrikaans language and her writing career, she was an avid collector of contemporary South Arican art, leaving her vast and important collection to the Sasol Art Gallery at the University of Stellenbosch.

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

She directed Gebroke Drade, Die Nuwe Wêreld, Fritsie, Vroueskool, Die Wildsboudjie, 'n Sonnige Dag, Paastyd, Mademoiselle, Beatriks Ursula, The Gioconda Smile, Die Indringer (1935), Die Hoogste Reg, Illusie-Simfonie, Die Man met die Blom in sy Mond, Moraal, Huis te Koop (1935).

Several of these plays in Afrikaans were translated by Marguerite from the original scripts.

Marguerite directed Hantie kom Huistoe (P.W.S. Schumann) at the Oranjeklub on 2 December 1933, with Anna Pohl, Gideon Roos, Herman Steytler and others.

She is the author of Witwater se Mense, published in 1974, which was adapted for the stage by Alwyn Swart.

She was a founding member of the Kaapstadse Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging in 1934.

She wrote the plays Die Bron (1935), Binnehof, Op Pad na Bethlehem : 'n kersspel, So Onder Deur die Maan, Die Stem van die See, Helgaard Weder and Sneeu op die Ewenaar as well as puppet plays like Loekie. Wrote a nativity play, Op Pad na Bethlehem, So Onder die Maan (five one act plays), Loekie (a puppet play). She acted in Die Idioot in 1943 and in Die Gode Lag in 1945.

In 1937 she became a specialist member of the Toneelburo of the F.A.K..

Sources

Stellenbosch University Library catalogue.

Binge, 1969.

Nel, F.J. 1972.

The Marguerite Isabel Murray Collection is held at the Stellenbosch University Library Document Centre MS 307 in 3 pamphlet boxes. Description: Manuscripts ; notebooks ; speeches ; correspondence ; photographs ; clippings. This collection includes diverse documents regarding theatre as M.I. Murray was a member of the Kaapstadse Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging (KAT) as well as manuscripts of her own work as writer.

An inventory of the collection is available.

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities M

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page