Difference between revisions of "James Borthwick"
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1982 For [[PACT]]:"Julien" in ''[[As die Turksvy Blom]]''. For [[CAPAB]]: "Bussy" ''[[The Spare Room]]'' and "Caliban" in ''[[The Tempest]]'' (''[[Fleur Du Cap Award]]'' Best Supporting Actor Nomination) | 1982 For [[PACT]]:"Julien" in ''[[As die Turksvy Blom]]''. For [[CAPAB]]: "Bussy" ''[[The Spare Room]]'' and "Caliban" in ''[[The Tempest]]'' (''[[Fleur Du Cap Award]]'' Best Supporting Actor Nomination) | ||
| − | 1983 For [[PACT]]: "Bob Acres" ''[[The Rivals]]'', "Everyman" in ''[[Everyman]]'' (A. C. Crawley), "Murat" in ''[[The Rise and Fall of the First Empress Bonaparte]]'' ([[P.D. Uys]]), "Flash Harry" in ''[[Dry Rot]]'' (John Chapman), "Jake Latta" in ''[[The Night of the Iguana]]'' (Tennessee Williams) and "The Pirate Captain" in ''[[Robinson Crusoe. A Christmas Pantomime]]'' ([[John Moss). | + | 1983 For [[PACT]]: "Bob Acres" ''[[The Rivals]]'', "Everyman" in ''[[Everyman]]'' (A. C. Crawley), "Murat" in ''[[The Rise and Fall of the First Empress Bonaparte]]'' ([[P.D. Uys]]), "Flash Harry" in ''[[Dry Rot]]'' (John Chapman), "Jake Latta" in ''[[The Night of the Iguana]]'' (Tennessee Williams) and "The Pirate Captain" in ''[[Robinson Crusoe. A Christmas Pantomime]]'' ([[John Moss]]). |
Revision as of 16:25, 12 October 2025
James Borthwick (1948-) is a bilingual (Afrikaans and English) actor.
THIS ENTRY BEING EDITED
Contents
Biography
Born in Durban on 12 November, 1948
He studied studied Speech and Drama at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg( 1971 – 1973) and in 1974 joined the Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State (PACOFS) as an assistant stage manager and starting his acting career later the same year. He spent 1976 at PACT, before returning to PACOFS until 1978, when he became freelance for a number of years, before joining PACT again in 1983.
He also turned to film and TV in the the mid 1970s.
Married to actress Rika Sennett and father of Kate Borthwick and Hannah Borthwick.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
As stage actor
He started his professional acting career with PACOFS in 1974, appearing as various characters in the Free State touring schools programme and library programme, as well as playing "Green Eyes" in Jean Genet's Deathwatch and various characters in Brecht's Die Goeie Mens van Setzuan. Then in the next few years (1975-1978) followed appearances in:
1975: For PACOFS: "Theodore" in Chekhov's The Wood Demon, "Bottom" in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, "Tommy" in Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone?, "El Gallo" in The Fantasticks, "Mariechen", the cat in The Dragon and "Choobukov" in Chekhov's The Proposal.
1976: For PACT: "Jim" in The Rainmaker (Nash), various roles in Jabberwocky Hopscotch (Elaine Davie), various roles in Witwater se Mense (M. I. Murray and Poon Meyer), "Brer Terrapin" in Brer Rabbit (John English), "Pooh" in Winnie the Pooh (A. A. Milne)
1977 For PACOFS: "Orgon" in Die Huigelaar (Afrikaans version of Tartuffe by Moliere), "Pseudolus" in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Larry Gelbart and Bert Shevelove), "Artie" in The House of Blue Leaves (John Guare), "Lopakhin" in The Cherry Orchard (Chekhov), "The Musician" Kinkels Innie Kabel (Brink) and "Tybalt" in Romeo and Juliet.
1978 For PACOFS: "Sir Frances Chesney" in Charley's Aunt (Brandon Thomas), "Pepe Hernandez" El Grande de Coca Cola (John Neville et al.), "Toby Belch" in Twelfth Night, "Andrey" in Three Sisters (Chekhov) and "Don" in People are Living There (Fugard). In this year he was received the Piers Nicholson Award for his contribution to theatre in the Orange Free State Province as well as the André Huguenet Prize as Best Actor.
1979 For PACT:'n Maand op die Platteland (Turgenev)
1980 For PACT: "The Porter" in Macbeth (Shakespeare)
1981 For PACT: "Salinas" The Royal Hunt of the Sun (Shaffer) and "Tom Snout" in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare). Played "Crossley" in Murder by Proxy (Leslie Darbon. The World Premiere at the Intimate Theatre, Johannesburg)
1982 For PACT:"Julien" in As die Turksvy Blom. For CAPAB: "Bussy" The Spare Room and "Caliban" in The Tempest (Fleur Du Cap Award Best Supporting Actor Nomination)
1983 For PACT: "Bob Acres" The Rivals, "Everyman" in Everyman (A. C. Crawley), "Murat" in The Rise and Fall of the First Empress Bonaparte (P.D. Uys), "Flash Harry" in Dry Rot (John Chapman), "Jake Latta" in The Night of the Iguana (Tennessee Williams) and "The Pirate Captain" in Robinson Crusoe. A Christmas Pantomime (John Moss).
He worked for PACT for a number of years in the 1980s, appearing in numerous stage productions, including Murder by Proxy (Intimate Theatre, 1981); The Rivals (1983), Terrence Shank’s stage adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath; Chekhov in Yalta and Uncle Vanya (1986); Loot (1986), The Winter's Tale for PACT in 1988, Hapgood (1989).
He later appeared in a number of plays by Paul Slabolepszy, including Travelling Shots (which includes the monolgue Abnormal Load), Tickle to Fine Leg, Life's a Pitch (1998), Crashing the Night (2000).
Other plays include The Dead Wait (1997), Blackage (1997), Craig Freimond’s The King of Laughter (2006), Evita (2011), Sunset Boulevard (2013), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (2017).
Film/television
He made his first appearance in films and on TV in 1976, with a role in Kobus Louw's popular TV series Dokter, Dokter and Athol Fugard's film The Guest/Die Besoeker..
TV work:
His career in TV has included roles in the popular series Scoop Schoombie, Erfsondes, Gabriël, Hillside, Konsternasie Oppie Stasie, On the Couch (2008-), Van der Walt's Fault.
Film work:
His career in TV has included roles in The Guest/Die Besoeker (1976), .
As director
He directed Aladdin (in Sjiena) in 1994.
Awards, etc.
Among many awards he was awarded a DALRO and Piers Nicholson Award 1978. Nominated for a Vita Award (national) best lead actor for his role in Blackage 1997. Won a Fleur du Cap Award as best actor for Evita (2011)
Sources
CV of James Borthwick, submitted to ESAT by Borthwick on 24 September, 2025.
Profile of James Borthwick in the 1985 programme of the Standard Bank National Arts Festival, p.29.
Limelight 1979/80.
Rapport-Tydskrif, 22 May 1988.
Various entries in the NELM catalogue.
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