Becket

A play written in French by Jean Anouilh (French: Becket ou l'honneur de Dieu). The play was first performed at the Théâtre Montparnasse Gaston Baty in Paris on 8 October 1959 and on Broadway in 1960.

The original text

Published in Paris by Table Ronde

Translations and adaptations

Translated into Afrikaans from the original French by Bartho Smit entitled Becket of Die Eer van God, published in Bartho Smit-vertalings No 4.

Translated into English by Lucienne Hill, published in New York by New American Library in 1960.

Performance history in South Africa

1963: Becket was the first play produced by the newly established CAPAB in the Hofmeyr Theatre, Cape Town, opening on 6 November 1963. It was directed by Laurie van der Merwe, with Pietro Nolte in the title role and Alec Bell as Henry II. Others in the large cast were Frank Wise, Michael Drin, Harold Lake, Robert del Kyrke, Alan Prior, Gordon Rennie and Fitz Morley. Among the women were Joyce Bradley, Val Donald and Susan Blake. Sets and costumes were by Eleanor Esmonde-White. Incidental music composed by Arnold van Wyk and recorded by the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra under his conductorship.

1970/71: PACOFS did a workshop version of the play (using only six actors to portray the thirty five characters, among others William Egan and Errol Ross) in its Presidency Theatre, directed by Jannie Gildenhuys.

198*: PACT did an Afrikaans version (translated by Bartho Smit) in the State Theatre, featuring Marius Weyers and Frans Marx.

Sources

Becket theatre programme, CAPAB 1963.

Grütter, Wilhelm, CAPAB 25 Years, 1987. Unpublished research.

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