Saint Joan

Saint Joan is a play by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1960)[1].

The original text

The play, originally written for Sybil Thorndike, first opened in America, at the Garrick Theatre on Broadway on 28 December 1923 performed by the Theatre Guild. The London première, starring Thorndike, took place on 26 March 1924 at the New Theatre, produced by Lewis Casson. The text first published in London by Constable, 1924.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into Afrikaans in slightly abbreviated form as Johanna, die Soldaat van God by W.E.G. Louw, and published by Nasionale Boekhandel Bpk, 1962.

Performance history in South Africa

Saint Joan was produced by NTO in 1959, with Afrikaans actress Kita Redelinghuys in the lead. The cast also included Harold Lake, David Herbert, Ivor van Rensburg, Siegfried Mynhardt, Frank Wise, Walter Glennie, Ivor Kruger, Michael Preston, Tone Brulin, Noël Borain, Pietro Nolte, Helene de Jong, John Boulter, Innes Hirson, Jimmy Mentis, Alfred Stretton. Décor and costumes by Frank Graves and Doreen Graves.

Johanna, die Soldaat van God opened at the Bellville Civic Centre on 21 September 1960. The production was presented by the University of Stellenbosch under the auspices of the NTO. The guest director was Fred Engelen of Belgium, whose wife Tine Balder played the title role.

Sources

Wikipedia [2]

Lantern, 9(2):192-197, 208.

Theatre programme 1960.

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 Unpublished research.

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