Difference between revisions of "Denis Rhodes Granger"
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On his return to South Africa he gradually became a leading light in the [[Worcester Dramatic Society]], initially directing many plays for them and writing quite a number of plays. The Society entered the annual [[FATSSA]] festivals and won several times. | On his return to South Africa he gradually became a leading light in the [[Worcester Dramatic Society]], initially directing many plays for them and writing quite a number of plays. The Society entered the annual [[FATSSA]] festivals and won several times. | ||
| − | After their move, he also became very involved with in theatre in Rhodesia, and later, Zimbabwe. Among other things he was a theatre critic for the ''[[Sunday Mail]]'' and ''[[The Citizen]]'' newspapers and a judge for several years of the [[National Theatre Organisation]] High Schools Festival. | + | After their move, he also became very involved with in theatre in Rhodesia, and later, Zimbabwe. |
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| + | ===As organiser, critic and judge=== | ||
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| + | Among other things he was a theatre critic for the ''[[Sunday Mail]]'' and ''[[The Citizen]]'' newspapers and a judge for several years of the [[National Theatre Organisation]] High Schools Festival. | ||
In Salisbury he started the [[Marlborough Players]] and directed plays for them. The first production he did was a performance of ''[[Little Red Riding Hood]]'' in 1965, both directing the play as well as playing "Grandma". | In Salisbury he started the [[Marlborough Players]] and directed plays for them. The first production he did was a performance of ''[[Little Red Riding Hood]]'' in 1965, both directing the play as well as playing "Grandma". | ||
Revision as of 07:01, 24 October 2026
Denis Rhodes Granger (1911-2001) was a bilingual (English and Afrikaans) playwright and amateur director.
BEING EDITED
Contents
Biography
Born 21st November 1911 in Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia, he studied in Cape Town
He became articled to a lawyer, eventually gaining his qualifications. He worked for a marine legal firm first, but this played havoc with his health, so he was then sent to the Karoo town of De Aar by the doctor. With the advent of World War II he joined the South African army, but was seconded to the British army, where he became an officer and, because of his legal training and photographic memory, was put into Intelligence.
After the war he spent some time in the United Kingdom before returning to South Africa by ship and after a while ended up in the town of Worcester working for a law firm. There he met his wife, Isabeau Granger (Isabeau Marguerite Luckhoff), "on stage" when she was in a play which he was directing. (There was a prominent article in one of the Worcester newspapers about their onstage romance.)
The family lived in Worcester until 1959, when they moved to settle in Rhodesia. Denis apparently went ahead by train with his son Tony and the dogs, in order to get settled, then - when all was ready - Isabeau followed by plane with daughters Debbie and Angela (6 months). They settled in Salisbury, where they lived the rest of their lives.
He died in a house fire in Harare, Zimbabwe, 13th April 2001, aged 89.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
As actor and director
As a young man he did a great deal of acting in Cape Town until the war intruded.
While still in England just after the war, Denis again worked in Repertory theatre and had a very small part in the version of Great Expectations film made during or just after the war.
On his return to South Africa he gradually became a leading light in the Worcester Dramatic Society, initially directing many plays for them and writing quite a number of plays. The Society entered the annual FATSSA festivals and won several times.
After their move, he also became very involved with in theatre in Rhodesia, and later, Zimbabwe.
As organiser, critic and judge
Among other things he was a theatre critic for the Sunday Mail and The Citizen newspapers and a judge for several years of the National Theatre Organisation High Schools Festival.
In Salisbury he started the Marlborough Players and directed plays for them. The first production he did was a performance of Little Red Riding Hood in 1965, both directing the play as well as playing "Grandma".
The club panto was revived by his daughter Angela Cozens in 1998 when they did Robin Hood and His Merry Persons, Denis again playing a "Grandma"! Stole the show! Angela has carried on with acting and writing plays in England.
As a playwright
Denis wrote a number of plays, among them:
Author of the one-act plays The Cottage, A Playmate for our Little Lord, Festival, The Lady Anne gets her Bath (1951/4*), Die Lappieskombers (winner of the Afrikaans section of the 1957 FATSSA one-act playwrighting competition ). Also wrote the full length play Dark Brown (1951) and directed Hjalmar Bergman's one-act play Mr Sleeman is Coming for the Worcester Dramatic Society (1953).
Sources
Sydney Paul Gosher. 1988. A Historical and Critical Survey of the South African One-act Play Written in English. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Pretoria: University of South Africa.
Personal e-mail correspondence from his daughter, Angela Cozens, 22 September 2012.
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