Faan se Trein ("Faan's Train") is an Afrikaans play by Pieter Fourie (1940-).

Faan se Trein: The play

A play about a simple minded man and his love of trains, written in a realistic and popular format Fourie referred to as volkstoneel, it became an enormous box office success when pit was first produced. The play had been written in 1971, when Fourie was on compulsory leave following the debacle surrounding the performance of Bartho Smit's Christine as the opening work for the Nico Malan Theatre in Cape Town, but was not performed then.

It was only in 1975, after it had been published by **, that Fourie submitted the play to CAPAB for possible production.

1976: First produced by CAPAB, directed by Pieter Fourie, with Willem de la Querra in the lead role and co-starring Cobus Rossouw opening at the Hofmeyr Theatre on 21 February 1975. The play represents what Fourie refers to as Volkstoneel ["Folk drama"], a form he was propagating at the time. First published by Tafelberg Publishers in 1975. Other productions by CAPAB directed by Johan Esterhuizen with David van der Merwe as Faan in 1981 and Albert Maritz’s award-winning production, with Paul Eilers in the lead, which repeated the commercial success of the original in 2005-6, playing at a range of festivals and venues.

Sources

Nico Luwes 2010. Pieter Fourie (1940-) se bydrae as Afrikaanse dramaturg en kunsbestuurder: 1965-2010. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Bloemfontein: University of the Free State, pp. [1]

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Faan se Trein: The film

Though there had been many unsuccessful negotiations about filming the popular play, it was only in 2013 that a film was finally made. Based on the two "Faan" plays (Faan se Trein and Faan se Stasie), it was filmed in 2013 and went on general release in January 2014.

Produced by Helena Spring, directed by Koos Roets, with a script by Pieter Fourie and Koos Roets, cinematography by Amelia Henning, production design by Waldemar Coetsee, editing by Nicholas Costaras and sound design by Barry Donnely. The cast consisted of Willie Esterhuizen, Deon Lotz, Anel Alexander, Marius Weyers, Nicola Hanekom, A.J. van der Merwe, Cobus Rossouw and Sandra Kotzé.