Index to South African Critics, Commentators and Reviewers

Below is are two alphabetical lists of South African arts journalists, columnists, commentators, critics and reviewers who have worked in South Arica.

For an introduction to the terms used and an overview of the evolution of the notion of theatre and performance criticism in South Africa, go to the entry on: Theatre Criticism in South Africa

Newspaper, Journal, Radio and TV Critics and Reviewers

Click on the relevant name to go to the entry on the specific person.

LIST OF NAMES STILL BEING EDITED

A

Len Ashton

B

Keith Bain (19**-),

Percy Baneshik (1915-2000?**)

William H. Bell (1873-1946)

Gerhard J. Beukes (19*-19*)

Stephen William Black (1879-1931)

Ludwig Binge (1919-1966)

Th. Blok (Thomas Blok). (19*-)

Arnold Blumer. (1945-2004),

Paul Boekkooi (194*-)

D.C. Boonzaier (1865-1950)

F.C.L. Bosman (19*-19*),

Danie Botha (194*-)

A.C. Bouman (18*-19*),

Bill Brewer (19**-19**),

André P. Brink (1935-),

James Ambrose Brown (1919-),

Johann Buhr (19*-19*),

C

Hedley A. Chilvers (1879-1941)

Fiona Chisholm (19*-),

Sheila Chisholm ()

Alice Coetzee (19*-),

P.J. Conradie (19**-2021)

"The Critic" (e.g. for The Commercial Advertiser, 1829); ,

D

P.J. du Toit (aka Peet du Toit) (194*-),

E

Julius Eichbaum (19**-19**),

Rita Elferink (1910-2002),

F

Horace Flather. (18*-),

Jill Fletcher (1929- 2004),

G

Robert Greig (1948-)

Wilhelm Grütter (19*-2001)

H

Adam Haupt (19**-)

Temple Hauptfleisch (1945-)

Edwin Hees ()

Beatrice Hollyer (19**-)

Barry Hough (19*-)

I

Donald Inskip (19**-19**),

J

K

Selaneng Kgomongwe (19**-)

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

Alan Swerdlow

T

U

V

X

Y

Z

Fairbairn, John. (1794-1864), Feldman, Peter (19**-), Fourie, Pieter J. (194*- ), Fuchs, Ann. (19*-), Gamble, David. (18**-19**), Gosher, S. P. (194*-), Greyvenstein, Walter. (194*-), Grosskopf, J.F.W. (18*-19*), Holloway, Myles. (19*-), Horn, Andrew. (19**-), Hauptfleisch, Temple (1945-) Hugo, Daniel. (195*-), Kannemeyer, John Christoffel (31/3/1939-), Kavanagh, Robert. (Also Rk, Robert Mclaren And Mshengu) (19**-), Latakgomo, Joseph Matthew Seshego. (1947-), Lategan, Felix.V. (19**-19?*), Le Roux, Fred. (19*-197*), Levy, Joseph Langley. (1870-1945), Louw, N.P Van Wyk. (Nicolaas Petrus) (1906-1970), Louw, W.E.G. (19**-19**), Barnard, Chris (19**-), Blakeney, P. (19*-), Breytenbach, Philippa. (19**-), Callenborne, Michael. (19**-), Christie, Roy. (19*-), Daniel, Raeford. (19**-2000?*), Draper, Ralph. (19*-), Ebrahim, Carter. (19*-), Gray, Ian. (19*-), Gray, Stephen (1941-), Herbst, Terry. (19**-), Hutchison, Yvette. (19**-), Jones, I (Ivor??*). (19**-), Konya, Phyllis. (19*-19*), Leshoai, T. (19*-), Marquard, Jean. (19*), Marquard, Kathleen. (19*-19*?), Mbali, W. (19**-19**), Meijer, Sjoerd. (19*-19*), Metsoamere, Victor. (19*-), Moodley, D. (19*-), Moodley, Strinivasa (Srini). (1946-), Muller, Braam (1945-), Nhlapo, Walter. (19**-19**), Robinson, Sue. (19*-), Ronge, Barry. (19*-), Schutte, H.J. (19*-), Smuts, J.P. (19*-), Tshabangu, M. (19*-)/ Tshabangu, Mango, Van Reenen, Rykie. (19*-19*), Van Rooyen, Johan. (19*-), Van Schoor, A.M. (19*-), Mackenzie, Thomas William (1875-1939), Makhaya, Elliot. (19**-), Malherbe, F.E.J (Francois Or "Fransie"). (18*-19*), Marx, Lesley. (19**-), Meersman, Brent. (196 - ), Mocke, Ignatius. (19*-19*), Morrell, R. (19*-), Motjuwadi, Stanley Stemera Jimmy. (1930-1989), Mtshali, Mbuyiseni Oswald. (1940-), Mulder, H.A.(19*-), Ndebele, Njabulo. (1945-), Ngwenya, Kaiser. (19**-), Nkosi, Lewis. (1936-), Thys Odendaal, Opperman, D.J. (Dirk) (1914-1985), Orkin, Martin. (19**-19**), Peterson, Bhekizizwe. (19*-), Pheiffer, Roy. (19**- 19*?), Pienaar, E.C. (18*-19*), Preller, Gustav Schoeman. (1875-19**), Pretorius, William. (1941-2007), Pringle, Thomas. (1794-1864), Barnard, [Lady] Anne (1750-1825), Rompel, Frederik. (18*-19*), Sammons, William Layton. (1801-1882), Scholtz, H. Van Der Merwe. (18*-19*), Scholtz, Merwe. (19*-), Sepamla, Sipho Sydney James. (1932-), Sowden, Lewis. (19**-19**), Stent, Vere. (18*-19*), Steyn, F.S. (Fritz). (19**-19**), Van Rensburg, Cas. (19**-), Van Zyl, John. (194*-), Venables, Michael. (19**-2001), Walder, Dennis. (19**-), Webster, Mary Morrison. (1894-1980), Willoughby, Guy. (19*-), Wilson, Derek. (19**-), Woolfson, Malcolm (19**-),

Thys Odendaal

GREIG, Robert. (1948-), GRÜTTER, Wilhelm. (19*-2001), HAUPT, Adam (19**-) HAUPTFLEISCH, Temple. (1945-), HOLLYER, Beatrice. (19**-),   HOUGH, Barry. (19*-), INSKIP, Donald. (19**-19**), KGOMONGWE, Selaneng. (19**-), BINGE, Ludwig Wilhelm Berthold. (1919-1966), BOEKKOOI, Paul (194*-), BOONZAIER, Daniel.C. (“D.C.”1865-1950), The critic for the Commercial Advertiser (1829); BOTHA, Danie. (194*-)  , BOUMAN, A.C. (18*-19*), BROWN, James Ambrose (1919-), BUHR, Johann. (19*-19*), CHILVERS, Hedley A. (1879-1941), COETZEE, Alice. (19*-), CONRADIE, P.J. (Pieter J…, 19**- ), DU TOIT. P.J. (“Peet”). (194*-), EICHBAUM, Julius. (19**-19**), ELFERINK, Rita. (1910-2002), FAIRBAIRN, John. (1794-1864), FELDMAN, Peter (19**-), FOURIE, Pieter J. (194*- ), FUCHS, Ann. (19*-), GAMBLE, David. (18**-19**), GOSHER, S. P. (194*-), GREYVENSTEIN, Walter. (194*-), GROSSKOPF, J.F.W. (18*-19*), HOLLOWAY, Myles. (19*-), HORN, Andrew. (19**-), HAUPTFLEISCH, Temple (1945-) HUGO, Daniel. (195*-), KANNEMEYER, John Christoffel (31/3/1939-), KAVANAGH, Robert. (Also RK, Robert McLaren and Mshengu) (19**-), LATAKGOMO, Joseph Matthew Seshego. (1947-), LATEGAN, Felix.V. (19**-19?*), LE ROUX, Fred. (19*-197*), LEVY, Joseph Langley. (1870-1945), LOUW, N.P van Wyk. (Nicolaas Petrus) (1906-1970), LOUW, W.E.G. (19**-19**), BARNARD, Chris (19**-), BLAKENEY, P. (19*-), BREYTENBACH, Philippa. (19**-), CALLENBORNE, Michael. (19**-), CHRISTIE, Roy. (19*-), DANIEL, Raeford. (19**-2000?*), DRAPER, Ralph. (19*-), EBRAHIM, Carter. (19*-),  GRAY, Ian. (19*-), GRAY, Stephen (1941-), HERBST, Terry. (19**-), HUTCHISON, Yvette. (19**-), JONES, I (Ivor??*). (19**-), KONYA, Phyllis. (19*-19*), LESHOAI, T. (19*-), MARQUARD, Jean. (19*), MARQUARD, Kathleen. (19*-19*?), MBALI, W. (19**-19**), MEIJER, Sjoerd. (19*-19*), METSOAMERE, Victor. (19*-), MOODLEY, D. (19*-), MOODLEY, Strinivasa (Srini). (1946-), MULLER, Braam (1945-), NHLAPO, Walter. (19**-19**), ROBINSON, Sue. (19*-), RONGE, Barry. (19*-), SCHUTTE, H.J. (19*-), SMUTS, J.P. (19*-), TSHABANGU, M. (19*-)/ TSHABANGU, Mango, VAN REENEN, Rykie. (19*-19*), VAN ROOYEN, Johan. (19*-), VAN SCHOOR, A.M. (19*-), MACKENZIE, Thomas William (1875-1939), MAKHAYA, Elliot. (19**-), MALHERBE, F.E.J (Francois or "Fransie"). (18*-19*), MARX, Lesley. (19**-), MEERSMAN, Brent. (196 - ), MOCKE, Ignatius. (19*-19*), MORRELL, R. (19*-), MOTJUWADI, Stanley Stemera Jimmy. (1930-1989), MTSHALI, Mbuyiseni Oswald. (1940-), MULDER, H.A.(19*-), NDEBELE, Njabulo. (1945-), NGWENYA, Kaiser. (19**-), NKOSI, Lewis. (1936-), OPPERMAN, D.J. (Dirk) (1914-1985), ORKIN, Martin. (19**-19**), PETERSON, Bhekizizwe. (19*-), PHEIFFER, Roy. (19**- 19*?), PIENAAR, E.C. (18*-19*), PRELLER, Gustav Schoeman. (1875-19**), PRETORIUS, William. (1941-2007), PRINGLE, Thomas. (1794-1864), BARNARD, [Lady] Anne (1750-1825), ROMPEL, Frederik. (18*-19*), SAMMONS, William Layton. (1801-1882), SCHOLTZ, H. van der Merwe. (18*-19*), SCHOLTZ, Merwe. (19*-), SEPAMLA, Sipho Sydney James. (1932-), SOWDEN, Lewis. (19**-19**), STENT, Vere. (18*-19*), STEYN, F.S. (Fritz). (19**-19**), VAN RENSBURG, Cas. (19**-), VAN ZYL, John. (194*-), VENABLES, Michael. (19**-2001), WALDER, Dennis. (19**-), WEBSTER, Mary Morrison. (1894-1980), WILLOUGHBY, Guy. (19*-), WILSON, Derek. (19**-), WOOLFSON, Malcolm (19**-),

Walter Nhlapo

Also writing for Bantu World was W.Mbali, Herbert Dhlomo, * I (Ivor?) Jones, wrote for the Cape Times in the 1960’s. P. Blakeney wrote for the (Johannesburg) Sunday Express in 1960’s. * Lewis Sowden was theatre critic for Rand Daily Mail in 1940-1960’s?* W.E.G Louw (Die Burger);* Terry Herbst (Cape Times and the Eastern Province Herald? –1970-1990’s)?* Philippa Breytenbach (Die Transvaler 1960’s-1980’s?); *Rykie van Reenen (Rapport 1970’s); Michael Venables (Rand Daily Mail/?), Raeford Daniel (Rand Daily Mail ±1974-1980’s); ?? Thomas (S’Ketsh); C.Ebrahim (Cape Herald and S’Ketsh in 1970’s); J.Botha (Arts editor, Vuka); T. Hauptfleisch (Pretoria News -1980’s); Michael Callenborne (Pretoria News), Johan van Rooyen (Pretoria News), Braam Muller (Volksblad), Bill Brewer (Sunday Times?), Percy Baneshik (The Star?), Paul Boekkooi (Beeld?), J.P. Smuts (Burger?), Fiona Chisolm (Cape Times), Danie Botha (Burger), Derek Wilson (Argus), Wilhelm Grütter (Beeld/Burger?), D. Moodley (Durban Post, 1970’s), M. Tshabangu (S’Ketsh). Aggrey Klaaste (The World 1960’s, *). Elliot Makhaya (The World in mid 1970’s, the Johannesburg Post and The Sowetan in 1980’s); Nomsisi Kraai (PET Newsletter). Sipho Sepamla (S’Ketsh, Rand Daily Mail, etc.). J. (Jean?) Marquard (To the Point, The Friend? 1960-1970’s?). Roy Christie (The Star, 1970-1980’s). Selaneng Kgomongwe (S’Ketsh). Ian Gray (The Star, 1980’s). T. Leshoai (Sowetan in 1980’s). Robert Greig (The Citizen, 1980’s-1990’s**), Barry Ronge (Sunday Times, SABC, etc), Barry Hough (Beeld, Rapport), George Claassen, Victor Metsoamere (Sowetan late 1970’s?*), G. O’Hara (Mail and Guardian, late 1990’s), Phyllis Konya (Pretoria News), Gabriel Bothma (Die Burger), Danie Botha (Die Burger), W.E.G. Louw (Die Burger), Barry Hough (Rapport), Fiona Chisolm (Cape Times), Henry J. Vickers (The Herald, Port Elizabeth)

Index to South African Academic Researchers and Theatre, Film and Media Historians

See also the listing for Index to South African Critics, Commentators and Reviewers.

Temple Hauptfleisch, Andrew Horn, Yvette Hutchison, Myles Holloway , Stephen Gray, * Perreira, Michael Chapman, Ian Steadman , Keyan Tomaselli, Robert Kavanagh, Guy Butler, Albert Wertheim, Loren Kruger, Anton Krueger, Marcia Blumberg, Anthony Akerman, Ludwig Binge, Hermien Dommisse, Gustav Preller, FCL Bosman, Charles Malan, Temple Hauptfleisch, Mark Gevisser, David Kerr, Dennis Walder, Miki Flockeman, Louw Odendaal, Ben de Koker, Veronica Baxter,

Key Sources

Amkpa, Awam. 1999. Drama in South Africa and tropes of postcoloniality. In: Contemporary Theatre Review, Volume 9, Issue 3 1999 , pages 1 – 18.

Bosman, F.C.L. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I ["Drama and Theatre in South Africa. Part I"]: 1652-1855. Amsterdam/Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy.

Bosman, F.C.L. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika , Deel II ["Drama and Theatre in South Africa. Part II"]: 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L van Schaik.

Carpenter, Charles A. 1986. Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism 1966-1980: An International Bibliography. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Carpenter, Charles A. 1997. Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism, 1981–1990: An International Bibliography. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Coplan, David B. 1985. In Township Tonight! South Africa's Black City Music and Theatre. Johannesburg: Ravan Press/London: Longman.

Davis, G. and Fuchs, A. (eds) 1996. Theatre and Change in South Africa. Amsterdam: Overseas Publishers Association.

Dhlomo, H.I.E. 1985. Collected Works Edited by Nick Visser and Tim Couzens. Johannesburg: Ravan.

Elsom, John, 1985. The Social Role of the Critic. In: Contemporary Review; May 1985, Vol. 246 Issue 1432, p259-263.

Fletcher, Jill. 1994. The Story of the African Theatre 1780-1930. Cape Town: Vlaeberg.

Gray, Stephen. 1979. Southern African Literature. An Introduction. London: David Philip.

Gunner, Liz (Ed.). 1994. Politics and Performance: Theatre, Poetry and Song in South Africa. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.

Hauptfleisch, Temple. 1997. Theatre and Society in South Africa: Reflections in a Fractured Mirror. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik.

Hauptfleisch, Temple. 2014. Critical Responses: The Evolution of the Theatre Critic in South Africa. In Isidore Diala (Editor) Syncretic Arenas. Essays in Postcolonial African Drama and Theatre for Esiaba Irobi. (Cross/Cultures 177) Amsterdam: Rodopi.

Joubert, Gideon J. 1973. Rigtings en figure in die toneelkritiek van Suid-Afrika, 1963-1972 [“Directions and personalities in the theatre criticism of South Africa”]. Unpublished D.Litt. thesis, University of Pretoria.

Kannemeyer, J.C. 1988. Die Afrikaanse Literatuur 1652-1987. [“The Afrikaans Literature 1652-1987”] Pretoria: Human en Rousseau.

Kruger, Loren. 1999. The Drama of South Africa: Plays, Pageants and Publics Since 1910. London and New York: Routledge.

Larlham, Peter. 1985. Black Theater, Dance, and Ritual in South Africa. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press.

Mudimbe, V.Y. 1988. The invention of Africa :gnosis, philosophy and the order of knowledge. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Peterson, Bhekizizwe. 1995. “ ‘A rain a fall but the dirt is tough’ Scholarship on African Theatre in South Africa” in Journal of Southern African Studies, December 1995, Vol. 21, Issue 4.

Retief, P.J.B. 1966. Toneelkritiek en die Nasionale Toneelorganisasie (1947-1961). ‘n Ondersoek na die aard en bestaan van kritiek rakende die verhoogaanbieding van die drama. [“Theatre criticism and the National Theatre Organisation (1947-1961). A study of the nature and existence of criticism regarding the staging of drama.”] Unpublished MA thesis, University of the Orange Free State , 1966.

Sauter, Wilmar. 2007. “Festivals as Theatrical Events: Building Theories” in: Temple Hauptfleisch et al, Festivalising! Theatrical Events, Politics and Culture. Amsterdam: Rodopi Press.

Tucker, Percy. 1997. Just the Ticket. My 50 Years in Show Business. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.

Wikipedia: Theatre Criticism[1]

Zeeman, Estelle. 1970. Toneelkritiek in Johannesburg in 1969. [“Theatre criticism in Johannesburg in 1969”] Unpublished MA thesis, University of Pretoria.

Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography