Casper de Vries
DE VRIES, Casper. (1969-) Actor, cabaret-artist and comedian. of Dutch stock, went to Silverton Primary and High School there, then studied drama at the University of Stellenbosch. Wrote his first piece (Een Koekoek in 'n Hoendernes = "A Cuckoo in a Chicken's Nest") while still at school, and was discovered as comic genius when performing in Hennie Aucamp’s cabaret’s (notably Slegs vir Almal) and other presentations. Won the Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Most Promising Student in 1986. Went on to achieve fame for his one-man, stand-up style shows, with their crude and uninhibited approach, which he usually wrote and performed himself, relying on his talent for mimicry, his freeflowing use of rude language and his diminutive size for laughs. Initially he worked with a number of other artists on his shows (e.g. Didi Kriel, Trevor Muller, Alan Hunter, Lolly Sonmez, Eppie Angeleri), but between 1992-1997 with Andrew Roos exclusively. Made his name with Hallo Suid-Afrika/ Hello South Africa in 1986, followed by i.a. AU (1987), Onemanshows/ Eenmanwys (1989), Ziets en De Vries (1990/91), Small Talks (1992/93), Gemini (1994), Ontvries ("Unfrozen" - 1995/1996), WalgWors '97! (lit. "Retch Sausage '97!" - 1997), WETTER (1998), TOET & TAAL (1999), laatdaarLAGwees ("let there be laughter" - 2000), DiMensie (A play on the Afrikaans for "dimension" and "the little person" - 2001/2002), Laat daar lag wees (2002) and Die HITS (2002-2003).
Also performed as actor in i.a. Die Van Aardes van Grootoor (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1992), Die Fledermaus (1993), Steve en Vriende (Steve Hofmeyr and other singers, 1997).
Also made some appearances in films and on television, from 200* hosting his own late-night TV chat show Casper Rasper ("Casper Grater").
DE VRIES, Casper. He wrote, composed and directed the cabaret Hello South Africa/Hallo Suid-Africa starring himself, Johan Engelbrecht, Elsabé Zietsman, June van Merch and Didi Kriel at the Windybrow Theatre circa 1986. His one-man show Small Talks was staged at the Richard Haines Theatre in December 1992.
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