Monica Breed (1923?-2021) was a well known and beloved radio actress, director and presenter, and a playwright.

Sometimes also credited as Monica Breedt.

BEING EDITED

Biography

Born Wilhelmina Monica Breed on 28 March 1923 in the town of Reitz in die Orange Free State, the daughter of Abraham Liebrecht Breed en Philippina Johanna Cornelia Loots. She matriculated in Reitz, then completed a BA degree and a teacher's diploma at the Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoër Onderwys.

She passed away in Pretoria on 25 May 2021.

Contribution to South African theatre, media, film and performance

In haar matriekjaar skryf sy saam met ’n skoolmaat ’n toneelstuk vir opvoering by die Matriek-afskeidsfunksie.

After completing her studies, she joined the Afrikaans service of the South African Broadcasting Corporation ([[SABC) in 1947, and between 1949 and 1952 she travelled abroad, (mainly in Britain and Western Europe), also broadcasting from there. On her return to South Africa she worked in Cape Town as a language editor for Nasionale Boekhandel Beperk's book publishing section, before rejoining the SABC and from 1962 onwards worked as drama organiser for the Afrikaans service in Durban.

In this time she was also intimately involved with directing and performing in dramas for radio as well as the stage (the latter for amateur companies such as the Bloemfonteinse Teatergroep, the Kaapstadse Amateur Toneelgeselskap (KAT) and Die Skerm in Durban).

She finally ended up at the SABC head offices in Johannesburg, where she retired after 33 years of service, to continue working as a freelance artist. However, due to her failing sight, she eventually had to cease that too.

Over the course of her career she was involved in various fields and projects.

As a radio presenter, she was for many years responsible for the popular journal programme Vrouerubriek (lit. "Women's column") for the Afrikaans Service of the SABC, and also the presenter of a number of childrens' programmes.

For TV she was the voice of "Piet Muis" in the iconic TV puppetry programme Haas Das se Nuuskas and appeared in Liewe Heksie. She also had roles in the TV drama series such as Phoenix & Kie[1] (playing "Donna van Zijl", a carer; 1979) and Cul-de-sac[2] (playing "Ouma Visser"; 1987) and her film roles include Die Vlindervanger (1976).

She wrote the one-act play Gee Mekaar die Regterhand.

She later became the manager of the SABC Sound Archives, a facility which she took enormous trouble to maintain.

[JH/TH]