Roy Sargeant

Roy Sargeant (1941-2021) Director, filmmaker, academic and teacher.

Biography

He passed away in Cape Town on 27 December, 2021.

Training

He has a BA (Hons) from UCT.

Career

After graduating, Roy freelanced as a director. In 1969 and 1970, Guy Butler invited young Roy to direct two highly successful productions with the students of the Rhodes University Drama Department. After a further six months as a leave replacement, thirty-one-year-old Roy was appointed Head of Department in 1973, and later Professor. Sargeant turned the department into one of the premier schools for training in the country. As head of the department he also played a major role in the establishment of the Grahamstown Festival and served on its planning committee for many years. The Student Drama Festival, the establishment of the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards and the Winter School were his brain children.

He also did freelance work, i.a. acting in The Mind Mirror for ** (1975, also playing at The Space).

Over the years he directed a large number of plays for varous amateur and professional companies, including the various Performing Arts Councils.

He left Rhodes University in 1982 to become the Head of English Drama at the SABC.

In 19** he moved to Franschhoek near Cape Town, where he opened a restaurant ("Polfyntjies").

From 1997, he was much involved with script development and enabling new artists in the region by his involvement with the Baxter Theatre as director of the Baxter Theatre’s successful Baxter Theatre New Writing Programme. A Writer's Last Word, staged at the Baxter Theatre, was its first commission. From 2001, the programme was run by Artscape as the Artscape New Writing Programme.

Also founded his own production company, Roy Sargeant Productions in 19**.

With Fatima Dike, he established the Siyasanga Theatre Company in 2005. This is now run by Fatima and Roy’s partner Paul Reginis who frequently take South African plays to Dublin.

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

As actor

As actor, he appeared in J.B. (University of Cape Town Drama Department, 1964), Waiting for Godot (as Pozzo, 1965) and The Mind Mirror (The Space, 1975).

As writer

He translated 'n Seder val in Waterkloof, entitled Send for Dolly. He wrote the play Cry, the Beloved Country, adapted from Alan Paton's novel, in 2003.

As theatre director

Sargeant worked prolifically as a director. Some of the productions directed by him include:

1966: Volpone (University of Cape Town's Dramatic Society)

1967: The Beaux Stratagem (CAPAB)

1968: Cape Charade (CAPAB)

1969: The Rivals (PACOFS

1969: She Stoops to Conquer (NAPAC)

1969: The Magistrate (PACT)

1969: The School for Scandal

1969: Epicœne, or The Silent Woman (Rhodes University Drama Department)

1971/1972: Hadrian the Seventh (CAPAB)

1971: The Entertainer (PEMADS)

1972: Kats in die Pekel (CAPAB)

1972: White Horse Inn (CAPAB)

1972: Romeo and Juliet (CAPAB)

1973: A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Rhodes University Drama Department)

1974: The Relapse (Rhodes University Drama Department)

1974: Butley (Rhodes University Drama Department)

1974: King Lear (CAPAB)

1975: A Scent of Flowers (Rhodes University Drama Department)

1976: Make Like Slaves (Rhodes University Drama Department)

1976: The Hollow Crown (Rhodes University Drama Department)

1977: King Lear (CAPAB)

1978/1979: Say Who You Are (1820 Foundation)

1978: Twelfth Night (Maynardville)

1979: Death of a Salesman (CAPAB)

1979: The Relapse (CAPAB)

1980: Romeo and Juliet (with Leslie French, CAPAB/Maynardville)

1980: The School for Scandal (PACT)

1980: A Day in the Death of Joe Egg for the Company at the Market Theatre

1980: How the Other Half Loves (CAPAB)

1980: The Shadow Box (CAPAB)

1982: Shrivings (PACT)

1982: Othello (Maynardville)

1987: Lysistrata (Rhodes University Drama Department)

1992: Wuthering Heights (CAPAB)

1993/1994: Arcadia (CAPAB)

1994: Travesties (CAPAB)

1995: Broken Glass (CAPAB)

1996: Gertrude Stein and a Companion (CAPAB)

1997: Kindertransport (Baxter Theatre)

1997: Hysteria (CAPAB)

1998: Dancing at Lughnasa (Baxter)

1998: The Elephant Man (Baxter Theatre)

1999: Equus (Baxter Theatre)

2000: Glass Roots (Baxter Theatre)

2001: Dearly Beloved

2003: Rustlers (Artscape)

2004/2005: The Birds

2005: Now Now (Artscape)

2007: The Boy Who Fell from the Roof

2008: The Return (Fatima Dike)

2011/2012: The Birds (Siyasanga Cape Town Theatre Company)

2013/2015: Cry Havoc

As film director

Sargeant co-directed the 1972 film, The Winners, with Emil Nofal. He co-directed the 1975 film, Kniediep, with Joe Stewardson.

Awards, etc

He received the Three Leaf Arts Award for best director for Hadrian VII and Romeo and Juliet. He received the Fleur du Cap for his direction of The Relapse.

Winner of two Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards as Best Director (1978, 2000),

He won the M-Net Vita Best Film award for his production of Athol Fugard's The Road to Mecca.

Sources

Burger, 4 January 1978.

Programme notes of The Elephant Man in 1998.

Tucker, 1997.

Numerous entries in the NELM catalogue.

https://www.ru.ac.za/drama/latestnews/theatreluminaryeducatorandco-founderofthenationalartsfestivalroysar.html

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