Bartho Smit

Bartho Smit (1924–1986) was a South African writer, poet, dramatist, director, translator, editor and publisher.

Biography

Born Bartholomeus ("Bartho") Jacobus Smit in Klerkskraal on 15 July 1924, he matriculated in Standerton and then completed a bachelor's degree at the University of Pretoria in 1949, followed by a Master of Arts degree in 1951.

He met the actress Kita Redelinghuys while a student and they married in 1949and they toured Paris, Munich and London between 1952 and 1957, where he immersed himself in drama and philosophy. While in Europe they met and became close friends with South African author Jan Rabie and others.

When they returned to South Africa, Smit initially worked as an arts editor for publications like Dagbreek and Sondagnuus, before beoming a publisher at the Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel. Founder and key member of the Sestigers movement, he was successively also the editor of magazines such as 60, Kol and Sestiger. Later, in the 1980s, he was also an influential founding member of the Skrywersgilde.

He was finally awarded the Hertzog Prize for Drama in 1978 in recognition of his work as dramatist, with special mention being made of his plays Christine, Moeder Hanna, Putsonderwater and Die Verminktes (Beeld, 29 Apr 1978).

He died of cancer in Johannesburg on 31 December 1986.

Over the years a three compilations of essays have appeared celebrating his life and contribution, while his adventurous spirit would live on in a new generation of Afrikaans writers, including Reza de Wet, Deon Opperman and Charles Fourie.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Though he began his writing career as a poet, when he and his actress wife Kita went to Germany to finish his doctorate in philosophy (which he never did), Smit became enamoured with theatre and returned ready to become a dramatist and director.

As playwright

An intellectual and highly experimental writer with a respect for theatrical tradition and a flair for the dramatic and metaphoric, Smit’s work is vastly eclectic and frequently controversial, the writing at times slightly cumbersome – yet always memorable.

Always a political maverick, he then moved on to the more highly charged and serious political work, perhaps making him the most banned playwright in South African history, with virtually all his plays running into trouble (see entries on the individual plays).

His spirit lives on in a new generation of Afrikaans writers that came to the fore in the 1980s, e.g. Reza de Wet, Deon Opperman and Charles Fourie.

SMIT, Bartho. Afrikaans playwright. He wrote Moeder Hanna which the National Theatre staged in 1959. His Afrikaans translation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Visit, directed by Fred Engelen with Anna Neethling-Pohl, was staged at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre in 1962. Ricky Arden directed his Die Man met 'n Lyk om sy Nek for PACT at the Intimate in 1966.

The plays

Meisies van Vervloë Dae (Written early 1950s, performed by the National Theatre Organization in 1959)

Moeder Hanna (Published 1956, performed by the National Theatre Organization in 1959).

Die Verminktes (Translated as The Maimed) S: in English in London: 1960, in Afrikaans by PACT: 1977; Tr: 1960, P: 1960??**),

Putsonderwater (Translated as Well-without-water, or The ''Virgin and the Vultures - S: PACOFS: 1969, Tr: 19**, P: 1962),

Christine (S: 19**, P: 19**)

Don Juan onder die Boere (“Don Juan among the Farmers/Boers” - S: 1960, P: 1960??**),

Bacchus in die Boland (“Bacchus in the Boland” -S: 19**, P: 19**)and

Die Keiser (“The Emperor”- S: 19**, P: 19**)

Die Man met 'n Lyk om sy Nek. (“Man with a corpse around his neck” - S: 19**, P: 19**).

As adaptor

Sagmoedige Neelsie (1973)

As translator

At the same time his superb translations of a wide range of European writers, including Moliére, Ionesco, Dürrenmatt, *** and *** were published in 19** and brought him many awards, including the **** Award.

The Afrikaans translations

Die Besoek van die Ou Dame by Friedrich Durrenmatt (Der Besuch Der Alten Dame, 1956) .

As director

Smit directed many of his own plays over the years, making his name with a few experiments with the realistic one act play, including his earliest work – Meisies van Vervloë Dae - and the play that established his reputation as dramatist, the haunting Moeder Hanna. Both produced by NTO in their NTO Kamertoneel in 1959, directed by Smit himself.

Other plays directed by Smit over the years include Sagmoedige Neelsie (1973), Christene ()