Jan Groenewald
Jan Groenewald (1946-2024) is an Afrikaans actor, director and playwright.
BEING EDITED
Born Jan Adriaan Groenewald in Florida on the West Rand in Transvaal, he studied at the Aakademie vir Dramakuns and had classes with Milla Louw and Aletta Gericke.
He began his career as a radio actor and author of radio dramas for the SABC. At the age of 42 he switched to working in television.
He and his life partner Pieter de Vos, whom he had met in 1973, were joint owners of the boutique hotel and theatre Foxwood House, where he initiated the Foxwood Festival for example, and he was also a partner in Foxwood Televison, with Sandra Prinsloo.
He passed away of heart failure after a long fight against cancer at his home in Johannesburg on 20 July, 2024.
As an actor he often appeared in his own solo-plays, including Pruimboom, blou blou
He wrote and starred in 'n Tyd om Lief te Hê, Die Wildeman, Klagstaat.
As a TV director he was responsible for documentary and amgazien productions such as the chat show RaakPraat met Sandra, The Heart is Beautiful, Formidabele vroue: Emily Hobhouse
For the latter documentaries he and De Vos received awards for Documentary work from the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (n 2009 and 2014 respectively).
Sources
SACD 1981/82.
The Star, 19 February 2009.
Anena Burger. 2024. "Bekroonde dramaturg en akteur Jan Groenewald dood aan hart", Die Burger, 22 July, 2024: p. 4.
Obituary: Jan Groenwald, Rapport Weekliks, 29 July: p. 2[1]
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