Difference between revisions of "Paul Slabolepszy"

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[[Paul Slabolepszy]] (1948-) is a South African actor, director and playwright.
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== Editing in progress ==
  
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=Biography=
 
  
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Born in Bolton, England to an English  mother and a Polish refugee father. The family then emigrated to South Africa, where he grew up in Polokwane and Witbank, going to school at the College Of The Little Flower in Polokwane (then Pietersburg).  
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[[Paul Slabolepszy]]. (born 1948). Actor, Playwright, Screenwriter, Director.
  
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He lives in Johannesburg with his wife, Carol. They have two daughters, Frances and Alice.
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== Biography ==
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Born in Bolton, England. Emigrated to SA, aged 3.
  
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=Training=
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He grew up in small towns around South Africa:  Modderfontein, Witbank and Musina.
  
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He originally wanted to become a radio sports commentator and sports remain a strong element in his writing, and pursue a career in radio. He thus majored in English and Drama at the [[University of Cape Town]], where he decided to focus on stage acting. He graduated in 1971.
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Paul lives in Johannesburg with his wife, Carol. They have three children.
  
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=Career=
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== Training ==
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University of Cape Town, where he graduated with a B.A. (Drama) degree.
  
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Like many Capetonians of his generation, he started at the [[Space Theatre]] as an actor and later as playwright. Over the years he worked closely with [[Bill Flynn]] for a large portion of his life, writing a number of plays and films for the two of them.
 
  
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He later moved to Johannesburg. After the enormous success of his first play (''[[Saturday Night at the Palace]]''  – which was shaped and directed by [[Bobby Heaney]] for a record-breaking run, beginning at the [[Market Theatre]] in 1982), Slabolepszy developed into a prolific writer and one of the country’s most successful playwrights. Very often working with his friend [[Bill Flynn]], he has produced works which range between relatively sombre socio-political explorations of South African society, to light and crude (but hugely popular) farces. A prime characteristic of his work is his sharp observation of the language, personalities and concerns of lower middle and working class white South Africa. They include the full-length plays ''[[Renovations]]'' (19**),  ''[[The Defloration of Miles Koekemoer]]'' (19**), ''[[Karoo Grand]]'' (1983), ''[[Boo to the Moon]]'' (19**), ''[[Under the Oaks]]'' & ''[[Over the Hill]]'' (1985), ''[[Making Like America]]'' (1986), ''[[Smallholding]]'' (1989),  ''[[Mooi Street Moves]]'' (1992), ''[[The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie]]'', ''[[Victoria Almost Falls]]'' (1994), ******.  Again working with [[Bill Flynn]],  Slabolepszy also developed a fine and profitable style of local comedy which ranged from the poignancy of his more serious work to the crude slapstick fun of the "[[The Corky Trilogy]]" about cricket and cricket fans: (''[[Heel Against the Head]]'', ''[[A Tickle to Fine Leg]]'' and ''[[Life's a Pitch]]'').  A number of his stage works were published in the collection  ''[[Mooi Street and Other Moves]]'' (1994) as well as single issues of some plays. A number of the plays have also been published in collections.
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== Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance ==
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Founder member of SA’s first non-racial theatre company, the [[The Space]] in Cape Town (with [[Athol Fugard]], [[John Kani]] and [[Yvonne Bryceland]]) in 1972.
  
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== Stage work ==
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In Johannesburg (with [[Mannie Manim]] and [[Barney Simon]]) he was a founder member of the world famous [[Market Theatre Company]] in 1976.
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=== As actor ===
 
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A founder member of the [[Space Theatre]] in Cape Town, where he performed in ''[[Enemy – An Anti-War Collage]]'', ''[[Othello Slegs Blankes]]'' (?), ''[[People are Living There]]'', ''[[School Play]]'', ''[[Skyvers/Jollers]]'', ''[[Three Cheers for President Charlie]]'', ''[[Tinkle Tinkle]]'' and ''[[Workplay]]''.
 
  
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He has also appeared in ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[Charley's Aunt]]'' (as "Charley"), [[Charles Marowitz]]'s ''[[A Macbeth]]'' (as “Macduff”), , ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' (as "Tybalt"), ''[[You're a Good Man Charlie Brown]]'' (as "Charlie Brown"), ''[[Siener in die Suburbs]]'' (as "Jakes"), ''[[Sweet Bird of Youth]]'' (as "Chance Wayne") and in ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' (as "Biff").
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=As actor=
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As an actor, Paul has appeared in well over 100 stage and TV plays, as well as 15 feature films. Highlights include - Frederick Courtney Selous in ''Rhodes'' (for the BBC) and Jan Christiaan Smuts, in ''[[The Apprenticeship of a Mahatma]]''. He appeared as Biff in ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'', Chance Wayne in ''[[Sweet Bird of Youth]]'', Kaspar in Pieter Handke’s ''[[Kaspar]]'', Smitty in ''[[Fortune in Men's Eyes]]'', Mercutio in ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', Chandebise/Poche in ''[[A Flea in Her Ear]]'', Eddie in his own play ''[[The Return of Elvis du Pisanie]]''.  
  
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He starred in [[Aubrey Berg]]’s ''[[Story Theatre]]'' together with [[Frantz Dobrowsky]], [[Janice Honeyman]], [[Eckard Rabe]] and [[Richard Haines]] for [[PACT]] in 1974, [[Robert Möhr]]’s production of ''[[The Tempest]]'' with [[Patrick Magee]], [[Bill Flynn]] and [[Michael Richard]] for [[PACT]] at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1975. He starred in John Herbert’s ''[[Fortune and Men's Eyes]]'' with [[Bill Flynn]], [[Ron Smerczak]] and [[Danny Keogh]] for [[The Company]] at [[The Nunnery]] in 1975. He starred in [[Ken Leach]]’s production of [[Feydeau]]’s ''[[A Flea in Her Ear]]'' together with [[Dorothy-Ann Gould]], [[Diane Wilson]], [[Richard Haines]], [[Frantz Dobrowsky]], [[Michael Richard]], [[Annelisa Weiland]] and [[Lesley Nott]] for [[PACT]] at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1976. He starred in [[Ken Leach]]’s production of the musical ''[[Fangs]]'' with [[Michael Richard]], [[Annelisa Weiland]], [[Lesley Nott]] and [[Bill Flynn]] for [[PACT]] in 1977.
 
  
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Other productions include
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=As playwright=
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''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' (Mercutio);
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With over thirty plays to his credit, Paul is arguably (after [[Athol Fugard]]) South Africa’s foremost playwright, his work having been performed in the UK, the USA, Germany, France, Australia, Sweden, Denmark and the Middle East.
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''[[Black Comedy]]'';
 
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''[[Death of a Salesman]]'';
 
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''[[The Relapse]]'';
 
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''[[Absurd Person Singular]]'';
 
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''[[El Grande de Coca Cola]]'';
 
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[[Barney Simon]]'s ''[[Joburg Sis!]]'';
 
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The Company's production at the Market Theatre in ''[[An Arabian Night]]'';
 
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''[[Cold Stone Jug]]'';
 
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''[[Marico Moonshine and Mampoer]]''.
 
  
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=== As director ===
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PLAYS:  1979 – ''[[Renovations]]''; 1980 – ''[[The Defloration of Miles Koekemoer]]''; 1982 – ''[[Saturday Night at the Palace]]''; 1983 – [[Karoo Grand]], 1984 -[[Under the Oaks]];  1985 – [[Over the Hill]]  1986 – [[Boo to the Moon]]; [[Making Like America]]; 1988 – [[Travelling Shots]]; 1989 – [[Smallholding]]; 1990 – [[One for the High Jump]], [[The Eyes of their Whites]]; 1991 – [[Braait Laaities]]; 1992 – [[Mooi Street Moves]], [[The Return of Elvis du Pisanie]]; 1993 – [[Pale Natives]]; 1994 – [[Victoria Almost Falls]], [[Tickle to Fine Leg]]; 1995 – [[Heel Against the Head]]; 1996 – [[Once a Pirate]], 1997 – [[Going for the Jocular]], [[Fordsburg’s Finest]]; 1998 – [[Planet Perth]], [[Life’s a Pitch]], 2000 – [[Crashing the Night]]; 2001 – [[Running Riot]]; 2002 – [[It’s Just not Cricket!]]; 2003 – [[Whole in One]]; 2005 – [[Art of Chaff (Lady Lonrly Hearts)]]; 2006 – [[Not the Big Easy]]; 2008 – [[For Your Ears Only]]; 2008 – [[Freak Country]]; 2016 – [[Suddenly the Storm]]. 
  
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Paul has had six World Premieres at the [[Market Theatre]] in Johannesburg. [[Saturday Night at the Palace]] went on to perform at London’s Old Vic Theatre in 1984. [[The Eyes of Their Whites]] (co-written and co-performed with [[David Kramer]]) received acclaim at the 1990 Edinburgh Festival, and [[Mooi Street Moves]]. [[Once a Pirate]] (starring [[Seputla Sebogodi]]) was part of the Lincoln Centre’s Woza Africa Festival in New York City in July, 1997
  
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In December, 2013 – [[Artscape]] (in Cape Town) produced a rework of an earlier play – [[Victoria Almost Falls]] (now titled [[My Low-fat, Almost Italian Wedding]]). In May, 2014 the [[Market Theatre]], Johannesburg produced a ‘20th Anniversary Production’ of his hit 1994 play, [[Pale Natives]].
  
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SCREENPLAYS:  1986 - SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE PALACE (adapted from the play) – Merit Award AFI FEST, Los Angeles 1987, TAORMINA Best Actor - John Kani; 1998 -HEEL AGAINST THE HEAD (adapted from the play); 2003 - SWANSONG FOR CHARLIE (based on own play OVER THE HILL); 2006 - RUNNING RIOT.
  
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=== As playwright ===
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For Leon Schuster, Paul wrote the screenplay for OH, SHUCKS – HERE COMES UNTAG (1989), and contributed substantially to SWEET & SHORT and MAMA JACK (2005); other co-written screenplays include VAN DER MERWE P.I. (for Philo Pieterse), PRINCE OF PRETORIA (for Franz Marx) and TAXI TO SOWETO (for Edgar Bold, Manie van Rensbg).
  
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His ''[[Saturday Night at the Palace]]'' starring himself, [[Bill Flynn]] and [[Fats Dibeko]] and directed by [[Bobby Heaney]] was staged at [[Upstairs at the Market]] in 1982. It returned to the Market in October. His double bill ''[[Under the Oaks]]'' and ''[[Over the Hill]]'', directed by himself and [[Frantz Dobrowsky]] was presented by the [[Market Theatre]] in September 1985. His ''[[Making Like America]]'' starring himself, [[Marius Weyers]], [[Nicky Rebelo]] and [[Lida Meiring]] under [[Bobby Heaney]]’s direction was staged at the [[Market Theatre]] in December 1986. He wrote and starred in ''[[The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie]]'' at the [[National Arts Festival]], the [[Rosebank Theatre]] (pg 513 which Rosebank Theatre?) and the [[Laager]] in 1992. His ''[[Mooi Street Moves]]'' was staged at the [[Laager]] in 1992. His ''[[Pale Natives]]'' was staged at the [[Market Theatre]] in 1994. It subsequently played at the [[Baxter Theatre]] before returning to the Market for a second season. He wrote ''[[Planet Perth]]'' in 1998.
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FOR TELEVISION – co-wrote SENIOR SMITH (13-part series, SABC), also on many episodes on various series’ – among them SCOOP SCOOMBIE (original concept – for Roberta Durrant), MADAM & EVE, PEOPLE LIKE US (with Gray Hofmeyr); SWANSONG FOR CHARLIE – an MNET Made-for-TV Movie, directed and produced by Bobby Heaney. In 2008 - Head Writer on a SABC2 Drama Series (HILLSIDE), for Aubrey Sekhabi;  In 2009 - conceived, created and wrote KONSTERNASIE OPPIE STASIE (13 part sitcom for SABC2), directed and produced by Bobby Heaney.
  
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Other works include ''[[Art of Charf]]'' (2006), ''[[For Your Ears Only]]'' (2008), ''[[Freak Country]]'' (2008).
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FOR RADIO – several of his plays have been adapted for radio and broadcast by SAfm (SABC), among them UNDER THE OAKS, OVER THE HILL, ART OF CHARF and WHOLE IN ONE. Over the past four years Paul has been Head Writer on a daily serial on SAfm called RADIO VUKA. Recently the series went past the Episode 2,100 mark.  
  
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== Film and Television work ==
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== Awards, etc ==
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With [[Bill Flynn]] he also developed television and film versions of some of their ideas, with their farce about the Rugby World Cup, ''Heel Against the Head'', being filmed in 2000. He also wrote several TV-plays, including ''Highrise Cowboy'' and ''Hands of Stone'', as well as the TV-series ''Senor Smith''.
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In 1983, Paul received the Standard Bank YOUNG ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD.
  
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== Radio work ==
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Numerous awards for Stage include Biff in DEATH OF A SALESMAN, Chance Wayne in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, Kaspar in Pieter Handke’s KASPAR,Smitty in FORTUNE AND MENS’ EYES (where he won his first DALRO Best Actor Award in 1976), As Eddie, in his own play THE RETURN OF ELVIS DU PISANIE, he became the first actor in SA to win every Best Actor Award nationwide in a single year (Vita, Fleur du Cap and DALRO, 1993).
  
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He is the Head Writer on ''[[Radio Vuka]]'', a [[SAfm]] radio play that is broadcast on weekdays at 15h45.
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Awards for his plays include [[Saturday Night at the Palace]] (Amstel, Vita & Fleur du Cap Best Play); 1983, 1985 – [[Over the Hill] (DALRO Best Play); [[Making Like America]] (Vita Best Play);  1989 – [[Smallholding]] (Vita Best Play); 1991 – [[Braait Laaities]] (Pick of the Fringe, Grahamstown Fest); 1992 – [[Mooi Street Moves]] (Paper Boat Best Play Award, Glasgow MayFest), [[The Return of elvis du Pisanie]] (Vita, Fleur du Cap and DALRO Best Play); [[heel Against the Head]] (Vita, Star Tonight Best Comedy); [[Suddenly the Storm]] (Naledi Best New South African Script 2016/17).
  
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= Awards =
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[[Mooi Street Moves]] was invited to the Teater der Weld Festival in Germany and the Images of Africa Festival in Denmark, in 1993. The same play won the Paper Boat Award at the Glasgow MayFest in 1994.
  
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Won the Stuart Leith Best Actor Award 1976. 
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In March, 1993 Paul was invited to do a four week study tour of American Theatres with a group of international drama practitioners as part of the USA International Visitor Program.
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Received the [[Five Roses Young Artist Awards|Five Roses Young Artists Award]] for Drama in 1983. [TH, JH]
 
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For his play ''[[The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie]]'' he won awards ([[Fleur du Cap]], Amstel Pick of the Fringe, [[DALRO]], Evening Post Showtime Awards, [[Vita Awards]] regional and national) in the categories Best Actor, Best Play, Palywright of the Year from 1992 to 1994.
 
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= Sources =
 
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[[SACD]] 1973, 1974, 1978/79, 1979/80.
 
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''[[Saturday Night at the Palace]]'' programme notes, 1982(?).
 
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[[ESAT Bibliography Tra-Tz|Tucker]], 1997.
 
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[[ESAT Bibliography Gl-Go|Gosher]], 1988.
 
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[[Loren Kruger|Kruger]], 1999
 
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Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Slabolepszy].
 
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"Hilarious Paul Slabolepszy comedy for Playhouse" [[The Playhouse Company]], 11/24/2015[http://www.artlink.co.za/news_article.htm?contentID=39203]
 
  
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== Sources ==
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CV provided by Paul Slabolepszy, October 2017.
  
 
== Return to ==
 
== Return to ==

Revision as of 09:10, 14 October 2017

Editing in progress

Paul Slabolepszy. (born 1948). Actor, Playwright, Screenwriter, Director.

Biography

Born in Bolton, England. Emigrated to SA, aged 3.

He grew up in small towns around South Africa: Modderfontein, Witbank and Musina.

Paul lives in Johannesburg with his wife, Carol. They have three children.

Training

University of Cape Town, where he graduated with a B.A. (Drama) degree.


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

Founder member of SA’s first non-racial theatre company, the The Space in Cape Town (with Athol Fugard, John Kani and Yvonne Bryceland) in 1972.

In Johannesburg (with Mannie Manim and Barney Simon) he was a founder member of the world famous Market Theatre Company in 1976.

As actor

As an actor, Paul has appeared in well over 100 stage and TV plays, as well as 15 feature films. Highlights include - Frederick Courtney Selous in Rhodes (for the BBC) and Jan Christiaan Smuts, in The Apprenticeship of a Mahatma. He appeared as Biff in Death of a Salesman, Chance Wayne in Sweet Bird of Youth, Kaspar in Pieter Handke’s Kaspar, Smitty in Fortune in Men's Eyes, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Chandebise/Poche in A Flea in Her Ear, Eddie in his own play The Return of Elvis du Pisanie.


As playwright

With over thirty plays to his credit, Paul is arguably (after Athol Fugard) South Africa’s foremost playwright, his work having been performed in the UK, the USA, Germany, France, Australia, Sweden, Denmark and the Middle East.

PLAYS: 1979 – Renovations; 1980 – The Defloration of Miles Koekemoer; 1982 – Saturday Night at the Palace; 1983 – Karoo Grand, 1984 -Under the Oaks; 1985 – Over the Hill 1986 – Boo to the Moon; Making Like America; 1988 – Travelling Shots; 1989 – Smallholding; 1990 – One for the High Jump, The Eyes of their Whites; 1991 – Braait Laaities; 1992 – Mooi Street Moves, The Return of Elvis du Pisanie; 1993 – Pale Natives; 1994 – Victoria Almost Falls, Tickle to Fine Leg; 1995 – Heel Against the Head; 1996 – Once a Pirate, 1997 – Going for the Jocular, Fordsburg’s Finest; 1998 – Planet Perth, Life’s a Pitch, 2000 – Crashing the Night; 2001 – Running Riot; 2002 – It’s Just not Cricket!; 2003 – Whole in One; 2005 – Art of Chaff (Lady Lonrly Hearts); 2006 – Not the Big Easy; 2008 – For Your Ears Only; 2008 – Freak Country; 2016 – Suddenly the Storm.

Paul has had six World Premieres at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. Saturday Night at the Palace went on to perform at London’s Old Vic Theatre in 1984. The Eyes of Their Whites (co-written and co-performed with David Kramer) received acclaim at the 1990 Edinburgh Festival, and Mooi Street Moves. Once a Pirate (starring Seputla Sebogodi) was part of the Lincoln Centre’s Woza Africa Festival in New York City in July, 1997

In December, 2013 – Artscape (in Cape Town) produced a rework of an earlier play – Victoria Almost Falls (now titled My Low-fat, Almost Italian Wedding). In May, 2014 the Market Theatre, Johannesburg produced a ‘20th Anniversary Production’ of his hit 1994 play, Pale Natives.

SCREENPLAYS: 1986 - SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE PALACE (adapted from the play) – Merit Award AFI FEST, Los Angeles 1987, TAORMINA Best Actor - John Kani; 1998 -HEEL AGAINST THE HEAD (adapted from the play); 2003 - SWANSONG FOR CHARLIE (based on own play OVER THE HILL); 2006 - RUNNING RIOT.

For Leon Schuster, Paul wrote the screenplay for OH, SHUCKS – HERE COMES UNTAG (1989), and contributed substantially to SWEET & SHORT and MAMA JACK (2005); other co-written screenplays include VAN DER MERWE P.I. (for Philo Pieterse), PRINCE OF PRETORIA (for Franz Marx) and TAXI TO SOWETO (for Edgar Bold, Manie van Rensbg).

FOR TELEVISION – co-wrote SENIOR SMITH (13-part series, SABC), also on many episodes on various series’ – among them SCOOP SCOOMBIE (original concept – for Roberta Durrant), MADAM & EVE, PEOPLE LIKE US (with Gray Hofmeyr); SWANSONG FOR CHARLIE – an MNET Made-for-TV Movie, directed and produced by Bobby Heaney. In 2008 - Head Writer on a SABC2 Drama Series (HILLSIDE), for Aubrey Sekhabi; In 2009 - conceived, created and wrote KONSTERNASIE OPPIE STASIE (13 part sitcom for SABC2), directed and produced by Bobby Heaney.

FOR RADIO – several of his plays have been adapted for radio and broadcast by SAfm (SABC), among them UNDER THE OAKS, OVER THE HILL, ART OF CHARF and WHOLE IN ONE. Over the past four years Paul has been Head Writer on a daily serial on SAfm called RADIO VUKA. Recently the series went past the Episode 2,100 mark.

Awards, etc

In 1983, Paul received the Standard Bank YOUNG ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD.

Numerous awards for Stage include Biff in DEATH OF A SALESMAN, Chance Wayne in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, Kaspar in Pieter Handke’s KASPAR,Smitty in FORTUNE AND MENS’ EYES (where he won his first DALRO Best Actor Award in 1976), As Eddie, in his own play THE RETURN OF ELVIS DU PISANIE, he became the first actor in SA to win every Best Actor Award nationwide in a single year (Vita, Fleur du Cap and DALRO, 1993).

Awards for his plays include Saturday Night at the Palace (Amstel, Vita & Fleur du Cap Best Play); 1983, 1985 – [[Over the Hill] (DALRO Best Play); Making Like America (Vita Best Play); 1989 – Smallholding (Vita Best Play); 1991 – Braait Laaities (Pick of the Fringe, Grahamstown Fest); 1992 – Mooi Street Moves (Paper Boat Best Play Award, Glasgow MayFest), The Return of elvis du Pisanie (Vita, Fleur du Cap and DALRO Best Play); heel Against the Head (Vita, Star Tonight Best Comedy); Suddenly the Storm (Naledi Best New South African Script 2016/17).

Mooi Street Moves was invited to the Teater der Weld Festival in Germany and the Images of Africa Festival in Denmark, in 1993. The same play won the Paper Boat Award at the Glasgow MayFest in 1994.

In March, 1993 Paul was invited to do a four week study tour of American Theatres with a group of international drama practitioners as part of the USA International Visitor Program.

Sources

CV provided by Paul Slabolepszy, October 2017.

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