Difference between revisions of "Eben Cruywagen"
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Cruywagen was a specialist in radio drama and wrote, adapted and directed numerous award-winning radio dramas and serials during his lifetime. | Cruywagen was a specialist in radio drama and wrote, adapted and directed numerous award-winning radio dramas and serials during his lifetime. | ||
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| + | Among the many [[Afrikaans]] novels he adapted for radio count such classics as ''[[Ampie]]'', ''[[Die Man van Cirene]]'', ''[[Jaffie]]'', | ||
=== Other activities === | === Other activities === | ||
Revision as of 06:39, 17 September 2026
Eben Cruywagen (1956-2026) was a renowned performer, broadcaster, director and scriptwriter for stage and radio, as well as a sometime lecturer, poet and academic.
Contents
Biography
He was born in 1956, one of four children. His parents were both teachers and he grew up in Randfontein, where he received his schooling at the local primary school. He spent his high school years at Hoërskool Kuswag in Amanzimtoti, Natal, where he became the very first head boy in 1974.
From his school days onwards he displayed a deep love for the performing arts, and after finishing his school career, he studied drama at the University of Stellenbosch, where he obtained a B.A. Drama degree (in later years also completing an MA degree at the University of Durban-Westville and a D.Phil degree at the University of Stellenbosch). Though he primarily worked in - and was a champion of - Afrikaans, he was fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English, and initially spent a year as an actor at the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB) before accepting a position as an announcer at Radio Port Natal. This ignited a life-long career in broadcasting, inter alia working for Radio South Africa and ultimately for Radio Sonder Grense (RSG) in Cape Town.
He spent a large part of his life working at the Sea Point offices of the SABC and lived in Bellville with his wife, Theresea. After a battle with pancreatic cancer, he passed away at the age of 70 on 10 September 2026.
His contribution to South African theatre, film, media and performance
Radio work
Cruywagen was a specialist in radio drama and wrote, adapted and directed numerous award-winning radio dramas and serials during his lifetime.
Among the many Afrikaans novels he adapted for radio count such classics as Ampie, Die Man van Cirene, Jaffie,
Other activities
Further study and teaching
He had a deep-seated interest in the rich dynamics and educational value of radio drama as an educational medium and in 1990s took up further sturyd in this regard, completing a masters degree at the University of Durban-Westville with a dissertation on The radio drama and the radio feature in South Africa: a comparative study in 1992, followed by a D.Phil degree (Drama) at the University of Stellenbosch on the educational possibilities of radio drama in South Africa (written in Afrikaans and entitled Luister-leer: die opvoedkundige moontlikhede van die hoorspel in Suid-Afrika) in 1999.
In addition to his work behind the microphone and in the control room, he was also used as a part-time lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch in the new millennium, where he helped to hone and inspire generations of young drama students and voice artists.
Sources
https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eben_Cruywagen
https://www.rsg.co.za/rsg-fm/potgooisnitte/eben-cruywagen-1956-2026/
https://www.netwerk24.com/nuus/mense/omroeper-en-dramaturg-eben-cruywagen-sterf-20260910-1136
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