Richard Haines

(****-****).

Actor. HAINES, Richard. (1948/9?*-1990) Actor on stage, film and TV. Studied at the University of Natal’s Department of Drama in Durban. Hugely popular and versatile as performer (his performance in the TV series Westgate made him a household name), he was particularly admired for his award winning performances on stage. Among his most memorable roles were in Info Scandals (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1979), PACT's ** * A Midsummer Night's Dream. For Pieter Toerien he did Quartermaine's Terms (1981-2), Amadeus (Salieri - 1981) and for the Market Theatre **, **, and Janet Suzman’s Othello (Iago). This latter experience gained him an invitation to join the Royal Shakespeare Company in England, where he won critical acclaim for his work, particularly as King Lear (1989). He died unexpectedly and tragically at this high point in his career. A theatre in Johannesburg was named after him by Pieter Toerien.

HAINES, Richard. He starred in Aubrey Berg’s Story Theatre together with Frantz Dobrowsky, Janice Honeyman, Paul Slabolepszy and Eckard Rabe for PACT in 1974. He starred in the PACT production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, directed by Ken Leach together with Diane Wilson, Bill Flynn and Joe Stewardson in 1975. He starred in Ian Ferguson’s Falstaff which was staged by PACT at the Alexander Theatre in 1976.

He directed Session, which was workshopped by PACT company members for PACT at the Alexander in 1976. He starred in Ken Leach’s production of Feydeau’s A Flea in her Ear together with Dorothy-Ann Gould, Diane Wilson, Frantz Dobrowsky, Paul Slabolepszy, Michael Richard, Annelisa Weiland and Lesley Nott for PACT at the Alexander in 1976. He starred in a revival of Journey’s End, directed by Norman Coombes for PACT at the Market Theatre in February 1977. It also starred Frantz Dobrowsky, Dale Cutts, Michael McCabe, John Rogers and Norman himself. He starred in Dear Daddy, directed by and starring Nigel Patrick with Shelagh Holliday at the André Huguenet Theatre in 1978. He starred in The Company’s production of Alan Ayckbourn’s How the Other Half Loves together with Kenneth Baker, Helen Jessop and Yvonne Banning and directed by Graham Armitage at The Market in 1979. The He starred in Roy Sargeant’s production of Sheridan’s The School for Scandal together with Erica Rogers, John Hussey and Bobby Heaney for PACT at the Alexander Theatre in 1980. He starred in Pieter Toerien’s production of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus together with Ralph Lawson and directed by Nikolas Simmonds at the Alhambra Theatre in 1981. Michael Atkinson replaced Haines in a subsequent extended season. He starred in Simon Gray’s Quartermaine's Terms which Nikolas Simmonds directed at the Alhambra in 1982. Together with Fiona Ramsay he starred in Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing which was directed by Nikolas Simmonds at the André Huguenet Theatre in 1983. Together with Grethe Fox he starred in Sweeney Todd, adapted and directed by Robert Whitehead which was staged at Upstairs at the Market in August 1983. He starred in Clarence Darrow directed by Rex Garner at the Leonard Rayne Theatre in January 1984. It returned twice and played at the Grahamstown Festival. He starred in Robert Kirby’s The Wrong Time of Year together with Anneline Kriel with direction by Robert Whitehead in 1984. He directed Chekhov in Yalta starring Frantz Dobrowsky, Michael McCabe, James Borthwick and Jacqui Singer in 1986. He also directed Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya starring Frantz Dobrowsky, Michael McCabe, James Borthwick, Jacqui Singer, Shelagh Holliday and Charlotte Butler which ran at the same time in 1986. He starred in Michael Frayn’s Benefactors which was directed by Rex Garner for Pieter Toerien in 1985. He starred in Miscarriage of Murder for Pieter Toerien in 1986. In 1986 he played the role of Serge Pavlovitch Diaghilev in Snake Beneath the Rose directed by [[Janice Honeyman. He starred in Janet Suzman’s production of Othello at the Market Theatre in September 1987. He died in 1990. Pieter Toerien added a third, hundred-seater, auditorium called the Richard Haines Theatre to the Alhambra in 1991.

HAINES, Richard, Death of a Salesman with Joe Stewardson & Richard Haines, (dir: Ken Leach), The Merchant of Venice –Sandra Duncan, dir. Ken Leach, set design: Penny Simpson; costume design: James Parker, Sand Du Plessis Theatre, Aug. 1985

Won the Stuart Leith Award for Best Actor of the Year for playing "Salieri" in Amadeus.

Performed with the Durban Theatre Workshop Company in Much Ado about Nothing and Black Comedy. He also performed in Charley’s Aunt , at the Arena Theatre in Enemy, in Children of the Wolf, Story Theatre, Twigs, Troilus and Cressida, Elizabeth I, Major Barbra and Death of a Salesman.

Haines was born in Zululand, educated at Hilton College, and trained in drama at the University of Natal from where he graduated with a BA in 1972. Thereafter he joined PACT and resigned in 1976 since when he worked extensively in theatre, films and television. In 1984 he enjoyed great success with the one-man show Clarence Darrow, for which he received both DALRO's Stewart Leith Trophy (for the third time) and the new AA Mutual Life Vita Award, for the Best Actor of the Year. He filmed for 7 months on Westgate III for SATV. On this series he worked as writer, director and actor. The first play which he had written for television, Total Strangers (went?) into production in 1985 (?).

Sources

(Tucker, 1997) (SACD 1973) (SACD 1974) (SACD 1975/76)

Programme of The Wrong Time of Year by Robert Kirby produced by Pieter Toerien in 1984. First performance was on November 26th, 1984.

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