Paul du Toit
There are two South African theatre personalities by this name.
Neither of them to be confused with the South African artist and sculptor Paul du Toit (1965 – 2014).[1]
Contents
Paul du Toit (19**-) Actor
Biography
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Played "Lennox" in the 1950 Afrikaans Macbeth (NTO).
Sources
Leonard Schach 1996. The Flag is Flying: A Very Personal History of Theatre in the Old South Africa. Cape Town: Human and Rousseau: p.62
Paul du Toit (1974-) Actor, singer, director and playwright
Biography
Born and raised in Somerset West to a theatrical family (his mother wrote and produced musicals), he started as a child actor in local productions. He completed his Drama Honours degree at Stellenbosch University Drama Department in 1996. While at university he received voice training in opera from Matthys Strumpher at the University's Conservatorium[2] and appeared in a number of Drama Department productions.
After graduating he moved into the professional field, working as actor, playwright and director for a range of companies, including Unlikely Productions. He also became a strong presence in film and television, inter alia also through his own company, Fanagalo Films.
Paul moved to Canada in 2020 with his Canadian wife, Clair, and their two sons, where they settled in Vancouver.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Stage career
Paul played the role of Lord John and understudied Kevin Smith as John Merrick in The Elephant Man. In 1997 Paul played Cleomenes in The Winter's Tale and Jack in Into the Woods, both for CAPAB. Later he was cast as the lead in Pieter Toerien's production of Doowah Boys 2.
For CAPAB he has appeared in the hit musical Boy Meets Boy.
Other productions include The Parrot Woman (Charles J. Fourie, 199*), Honk!, 2000, Auditioning Angels (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 2003). Also, collaborating with Anton Luitingh, performed in a range of revues, including Rock me Amadeus, Same Time Next Year (2013-4), Hemelruim (2015), Uit die Bloute (2018).
He co-wrote, co-directed and performed in the Offbeat Broadway quintet of satires (2011) and wrote and directed the award-winning plays The Unlikely Secret Agent in 2022 and in the same year translated and directed Gail Louw's internationally acclaimed play The Good Dad as Die Goeie Pa
Career in film and television
He became known nationally for his starring role in 9 seasons of the daily drama, Binnelanders and has co-hosted and co-produced the food, travel and lifestyle documentary series Rough or Smooth through his production company Fanagalo Films.
He has worked extensively in many other film and television productions in the North American, British and South African markets.[3] To be expanded
Awards, etc
In 1995 he won the Best Actor Award from the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department for his role as Johnnie in Hello and Goodbye and the following year he was nominated for a Fleur du Cap in the category Most Promising Student.
In 1998 he was a Vita Award Nominee (Best Actor) for the Pieter Toerien Production, Old Wicked Songs.
In 2024 he won the Fleur du Cap Theatre Award as Best Director for The Unlikely Secret Agent.
Sources
Paul du Toit: Biography July 2022 and Paul du Toit: Resume 2024 (both courtesy of Paul du Toit, held in ESAT archives).
The Elephant Man programme notes.
Sunday Independent, 15 June 2014.
Die Burger, 25 March 2022.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1957436/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_du_Toit
https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/rough-or-smooth/1000117759/
Go to ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to ESAT Personalities D
Return to South African Theatre Personalities
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page