Pieter de Waal

Pieter de Waal (1875-1949) was a church minister and playwright.

Often credited as P. de Waal.

Biography

Born on the farm Bakkerskloof near Somerset-West, on 19 Oktober 1875, the son of David Christiaan de Waal and Hester Sophia Hofmeyr, the sister of "Onze Jan" Hofmeyr, Pieter was the brother of the playwright J.H.H. de Waal. Shortly after his birth, his father bought the farm Bellevue in what is today the centre of old the Cape Town. There he grew up and and, after trying his hand at a few other things, completed his theological studies at Stellenbosch and would become a minister in the Dutch-Reformed Church (N.G. Kerk), serving in a range of , including those of Leipoldtville, Riebeek-Kasteel, and Reddersburg. From 1925 onwards he served as the travelling and organising secretary of the Christelike Strewersvereniging and the editor of their mouthpiece, Die Christelike Strewer (The Christian Striver).

Married to Joey van Wijk of Kimberley in 1905, he passed away in the Strand on 19 November, 1949. The couple had no children.

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

Besides his ecclesiastical and editorial duties, he wrote articles and pamphlets, as well as a number plays, mostly with a biblical theme and intended for spreading the gospel. The productions of the plays were very popular in his time, and the published plays include Omgeswaai ("Turned around", 1922), Die Bekeerde Jodin ("Converted Jewess", 1923), Delila (1926), Die Familie Brein ("The family brain", 1926), Erns Eerlik ("Honest Ernest", 1932) , and Mej. Skender ("Miss Damager", 1936).

He also wrote a farce called 'n Les oor di Tier, similar to his brother's piece 'n Les for performance by the Christian youth society (CJV) of Cape Town's Nieuwe Kerk. His play was later combined with that of his brother, to create a longer play called Die Selfsugtige Skoolmeester, (possibly translated and performed as The Selfish Schoolteacher by the CJV of Warmwater near Oudtshoorn in 1914).

Sources

https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_de_Waal

Ludwig Wilhelm Berthold Binge. 1969. Ontwikkeling van die Afrikaanse toneel (1832-1950). Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik.

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik.

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