Die Heks

Die Heks (“The Witch”) by C. Louis Leipoldt is considered the first Afrikaans play of real substance. A one-act play about a Cardinal (“The Hammer of the Witches”) who finds himself set to try two women as witches – and the one woman had been his lover, the other was his daughter.

C. Louis Leipoldt was awarded the Hertzog Prize for Drama for Die Heks and Die Laaste Aand in 1944.

The original text

Originally written in English in 1911 (***), reworked in Afrikaans as Die Hamer van die Hekse (“The Hammer of the Witches”) and prepared for publication with some other pieces in 1920, though not published. Finally revised, renamed Die Heks and published in 1923 by Nasionale Pers (and reprinted numerous times since).

Translations and adaptations

André P. Brink created "a drama in six episodes" under the title Die Hamer van die Hekse based on Leipoldt's Die Heks. Published by Tafelberg Publishers (1976).

Performance history in South Africa

1925: First produced (on a double bill with Fagan's Lenie) by Stephanie Fauré and Paul de Groot on 2nd May 1925, in the Opera House, Pretoria, with De Groot and Faure in the leading roles, supported by Marguerite (later Greta) de Vos, Herman Steytler, Henri Cilliers and Elsa Niemeyer. The stage manager, make-up artist and set painter was Christiaan A. van Schaik, with the sculptor Fanie Eloff donating the dekor and helping with technical aspects. The play then went on a short tour of Transvaal, including Volksrust. Ultimately had approximately 70 performances. Performed many times since.

1975: Brink's Die Hamer van die Hekse was staged by PACT in 1975, directed by Louis van Niekerk, with Francois Swart (Die Kardinaal), Eckard Rabe (Vader Placido), Don Lamprecht (Broeder Eugenio), Johan Malherbe (Di Civigni), Franz Marx (Hans Swieten), Marius Weyers (Andreas Brummer), Wilna Snyman (Elsa), Elise Hibbert (Janetta) and Annette Engelbrecht (Greta). Decor and costumes by Johan Engels.