Marthinus Basson

Marthinus Basson (1953-) is an actor, enormously influential bilingual director and designer, who has also been a props master, stage manager, actor, dramatist, teacher and a fine theatre photographer.

Biography

Born Marthinus Cloete Basson in Darling on 7 April 1953, he grew up on his parents' farm Zwartwater, near Darling.

Career

Basson has had an extensive and prolific career in the theatre - as actor, director, designer and producer. He worked for the Space Theatre in the early 1970s. Became CAPAB’s first permanent resident director in 1986 and went on to become one of the leading and more influential director/designers of the 1990s and early 21st century. When CAPAB became Artscape and dropped its permanent company, he worked freelance. He also worked for Syrkel, PACOFS, the Baxter Theatre, SWAPAC, Huis Vol Uile in 1989. A founder-member of the Fringe Theatre Company and CAPAB Youth Company, where he was an actor for 6 years. He was also involved with Chris Pretorius’s Glass Theatre.

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

As actor

Made his professional debut as actor in with the Space Theatre, performing in a French farce as well as Selle Ou Storie (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1974).

His acting career includes roles in:

1974: Die Trommel, Eskoriaal, Fortune and Men's Eyes, Ooh! La-La, Piekniek te Velde and Snow White and the Special Branch (Pieter-Dirk Uys) (all for The Space Theatre)

1977: Die Van Aardes van Grootoor (Pieter-Dirk Uys

1978: By Fakkellig (CAPAB)

1981: Die Saai Lewe (Glass Theatre), More Mysteries of Love (Glass Theatre)

1983: Snoopy!!! (CAPAB)

1984: The Lulu Sex Tragedies (CAPAB)

1985: Cock-Ups (CAPAB)

1988: Aap in die Mou (CAPAB)

1989: Huis vol Uile (CAPAB)

1992: Die Rebellie van Lafras Verwey (CAPAB), A Little Life Like This

1994: 'Tis Pity She's a Whore (CAPAB)

2007: Saad (Vleis, Rys en Aartappels)

2008: Saad (Vleis, Rys en Aartappels)

He has also appeared in the following films:

1978: Die Spaanse Vlieg

Directing

Directed his first play in 1983, and won his first directing Fleur du Cap Theatre Award in 1986 for Anatomie Titus Fall of Rome. (He also won the Rosalie van der Gucht Prize for New Directors in this year.)

His major productions as director/designer include:

1985: En Dit Was Môre (CAPAB)

1986 Anatomie Titus (CAPAB), Cock and Bull Story (CAPAB)

1987: Anatomie Titus (CAPAB at the National Arts Festival), Blomtyd is Bloeityd (CAPAB)

1988: Quartet (CAPAB)

1989: Shakespeare's Macbeth by Heiner Müller (CAPAB), Kinkels innie Kabel (CAPAB)

1990: Die Park (CAPAB)

1991: Callaway, Farce (CAPAB), Nag, Moeder van die Dag (CAPAB), Oudisie! (CAPAB)

1992: Die Tou, Legende van Wit en Swart (Ben Dehaeck)

1993: Mis (Reza de Wet, CAPAB)

1994: Mirakel (Reza de Wet, CAPAB), Drif (Reza de Wet, CAPAB), Boy Meets Boy (CAPAB)

1995: Othello for CAPAB at the Mannville Open Air Theatre in Port Elizabeth, La Bête (CAPAB)

1996: Macbeth (CAPAB), Loot (CAPAB)

1997: Drie Susters Twee (Reza de Wet, CAPAB)

1998: Yelena (Reza de Wet), Boklied (Breyten Breytenbach, KKNK)

1999: Waarom is dié wat voor toi-toi altyd so vet? (Antjie Krog), Ek, Anna van Wyk (Pieter Fourie), Johnny Cockroach (Breyten Breytenbach)

2001: Die Toneelstuk (Breyten Breytenbach, KKNK), Tango del Fuego (Basson and co), Aars! (Aardklop), Rooikêppetjie (Spier Amphitheatre)

2002: Gert Garries – 'n baaisiekel babelas (by Pieter Fourie, for Rooderandt Produksies), Die Goue Seun (Vleis, Rys en Aartappels, KKNK), Mama Medea (Tom Lanoye, Aardklop), Aars! (KKNK), Rooikêppetjie (KKNK)

2003: Koggelmanderman (Pieter Fourie, KKNK), Mama Medea (Tom Lanoye, Woordfees), Maria de Buenos Aires ( Oude Libertas Amphitheatre), Raaiselkind (Woordfees, KKNK)

2004: Breathing In (Reza de Wet), Maria de Buenos Aires (KKNK), 1975

2005: Romeo and Julia (Vleis, Rys en Aartappels, KKNK)

2006: Slaghuis (Willem Anker, University of Stellenbosch), Broers (Reza de Wet, Aardklop)

2007: Die Storm (William Shakespeare), Die Joseph en Mary Affair (Vleis, Rys en Aartappels)

2008: Lang Dagreis na die Nag (Vleis, Rys en Aartappels, KKNK), Boks (Vleis, Rys en Aartappels), Loot (Stellenbosch Drama Department)

2009: Art, Ontlont (Stellenbosch Drama Department,KKNK)

2010: Art, Die kortstondige raklewe van Anastasia W. (Aardklop)

2011: Die kortstondige raklewe van Anastasia W. (KKNK)

2013: Die Vrou Vantevore (also translated by Basson, KKNK)

2014: Art (Aardklop)

2016: Cock and Bull Story, Die Gangsters (Woordfees)

2017: Melk en Vleis (Aardklop)

2018: Bloed en Bodem (Aardklop), Kleedkamer Blues (Innibos Festival , Aardklop)

2019: Die Gangsters (Suidoosterfees)

As designer/stage manager

He was the stage manager for 'Tis Pity She's a Whore (Space Theatre, 1974).

Basson has designed many of the productions he has directed. He has also designed for other directors. Productions include:

1974: Die Wintersprokie (Universiteitsteater Stellenbosch)

1992: Die Rebellie van Lafras Verwey (CAPAB)

1999: Generaal Mannetjies Mentz (Aardklop)

As teacher

Has taught acting, directing and design at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University, appointed full-time at the latter institution in 2006.

Theatre production

In 2001 he, Saartjie Botha and Jaco Bouwer founded the company Vleis, Rys en Aartappels ("Rice, Meat and Potatoes").

For more information, see Vleis, Rys en Aartappels.

Awards

Has won numerous awards for directing and design over the years, including the Young ArtistAward (1989), and many Vita Awards and Fleur du Cap Awards. In 2002 he received the Erepenning vir Toneelkuns [medal of honour for theatre arts] from the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns for his contribution to South African theatre.

Sources

CAPAB Brochure, Aug-Nov 1989

Die Burger, 26 April 1993.

Kobus Burger, Met sy voete op heilige grond. Die Burger, 28 September, 2007: p5.

Cape Argus, 27 April 1993.

Original CAPAB programme for Othello, Mannville Open Air Theatre, 1995.

Marthinus Cloete Basson (TV documentary film by Etienne de Villiers, 1996).

Pretoria News, 11 April 2001.

Pretoria News, 18 April 2001.

Beeld, 23 January 2008.

Various entries in the NELM catalogue.

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