David Nissen

(1951-) Guitarist and vocalist, actor, composer, playwright and musical arranger.

Biography

Born in 1951, **

Contribution to South African theatre, film, media and performance

He began his dual professional career in music and theatre in 1971, and for much of his life he was split between a straight concert career and a career in theatre. These facets of his life are at times difficult to separate, as some of the musical presentations were theatrically conceived and based, and conversely, many theatrical activities were in a sense musical events as well. This entry naturally focusses more on the theatrical work.

Concert career

His South African career as professional concert musician included over 60 shows, starting with a 1971 national tour with Mandy Cohen and Nicholas Pike and ending with the Credence Clearwater Revival Show (1997-2004) and Lonely Stranger (an Eric Clapton Show, 1999-2004) and concerts in the Dorp Street Theatre, Stellenbosch (2000-2004). He then moved to Ireland, where he still does the occasional concert or session.

Theatrical career

As arranger/composer/recorder/performer and/or musical director

In 1972 he went to work for the Space Theatre, where he performed, among others, in plays Animal Fair (devised and presented by Phillip Boucher, 1972), and composed the music for and sang in Stories, Folk and Film (1972), Othello Slegs Blankes (Donald Howarth, 1972)*, He later also did musical work for Alice (1980), Godspell for the People's Space (1981).

In 1984 he joined CAPAB, where his musical work included Bremen Coffee (1985), The Woods (1985), Celebration II (1985), The Wizard of Oz (1986), Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair (for which he was musical director), Mr Mojo Risin - A Tribute to Jim Morrison, *** .

His other theatre credits include two Maynardville productions, Much Ado about Nothing and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

As playwright/director

Wrote, directed and performed a number of musical productions, including The Prince and the Sphinx (Cape Town Festival for Captour, 1987), which he considers a career highlight.