Hennie van Greunen

Hennie van Greunen (19**-) Teacher, playwright, director, producer, translator, adjudicator.

Biography

Training

Hennie has no formal drama training. After he finished his schooloing in Mossel Bay, he studied English and psychology at the University of Port Elizabeth (now Nelson Mandela University) and obtained an honours in psychology at Stellenbosch University.

Career

He started as a teacher at Brackenfell High School, later became Director of Corporate Communications at the Cape College, and since 2001 a full-time writer for stage and TV. In particular he became a prominent and successful producer and writer of light fare with the rise of the Afrikaans festival circuit since the 1990s, often working closely with Durbanville-based performers such as Pedro Kruger, Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck, Marion Holm, Trix Pienaar and Sarah Theron.

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

Plays he has written, directed and/or produced include cabaret-style work with Kruger (Blougat, Lyf), the Dowwe Dolla-texts (for Meyer-Rödenbeck), the Sussie texts (for Marion Holm) and Die Tafel, Die vrou wat haar man gekook het, Die Hangkas Haas, Festen, and Shirley Valentyn (2008, translator and director*), and the critically acclaimed Die Naaimasjien (2009, director). Some of his work has been adapted for TV, and he has also written a series for TV. He was a judge for the Sanlam Prize from its inception. VAN GREUNEN, Hennie,. Blougat, Nico Malan, 1998. Teks & lirieke deur Hennie van Greunen. Pedro Kruger. Regie: Shirley Ellis. Normality, KKNK, 1997.

He wrote Wydekloof, 2001.

Sources

Volksblad, 21 October 2003.

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