Die Selbstmörder
Die Selbstmörder ("The Suicide") is the German title of a 1928 play by Soviet dramatist and screenwriter Nikolai R. Erdman [1] (1900-1970).
Contents
The original text
Written
Apparently not performed in Russia in the original, it was first performed in Göteborg, Sweden, in the German version, forty years after being written.
Translations and adaptations
Translated into Afrikaans from the German (Die Selbstmörder) by André P. Brink, entitled Die Selfmoordenaar.
The Suicide was first translated into English by Peter Tegel and premiered by the Royal Shakespeare Company at The Other Place, Stratford, on June 13, 1979.
Performance history in South Africa
1973: The first production of the play outside Europe was done by CAPAB (In Afrikaans as Die Selfmoordenaar) at the Nico Malan Theatre opening 11 May 1973, directed by Pieter Fourie with Johan Malherbe as Semjon, also starring Sandra Kotzé, Nerina Ferreira, Louw Verwey, Marie Pentz, Schalk Jacobsz, Cobus Rossouw, Jan Prinsloo, Johann Botha, Mees Xteen, Joan Brink and Roberta Durrant. Decor by Raimond Schoop, costumes by Jenny de Swardt, stage manager Mavis Lilenstein. This production opened at the H.B. Thom Theatre on 7 June 1973.
Sources
Die Selfmoordenaar theatre programme, 1973.
Wikipedia [2].
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