Die Ryk Weduwee
("The Rich Widow") by Uys Krige (1910-1987). A hugely popular Afrikaans farce about a widow and her many suitors. Winner of the 2nd prize in the Afrikaans section of the 1952 Van Riebeeck Festival national play competition. The role
Contents
The original text
Published by Afrikaanse Pers, 1958.
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
First performed by NTO in 1953, directed by Anna Richter-Visser and opening in the Library Theatre in Market Street, before touring the country with 254 performances. The décor was by Kobus Esterhuysen, lighting by Harry Ligoff. The cast: Wena Naudé, Eghard van der Hoven, Daan Retief, Japie van Niekerk, Pikkie van Niekerk, Dawid van der Walt, Etrecia Mocke, Hannes Venter (later replaced by Reenen van Niekerk.
Popular with amateur groups and professionals alike.
Directed by Laurie van der Merwe for TRUK, 1968 with Wilna Snyman as the widow.
Done by CAPAB in the Hofmeyr Theatre in 1974 with Louise Mollett-Prinsloo in the lead role and Cobus Rossouw as Pierre Naudé. Sandra Kotzé diretced a CAPAB production at the Nico Malan Theatre in 1976 with Babs Laker as the rich widow, Anna de Kock, and the rest of the cast including Ralph van Pletzen, Nerina Ferreira, Anna Cloete, André Rossouw, Mees Xteen, Pieter Geldenhuys, Liz Dick and Cobus Rossouw. Design by Pieter de Swardt, costumes by Penny Simpson and lighting by John T. Baker. Martin Crous was the stage manager.
Done in Namibia by SWAPAC in 1977/8*?, by PACOFS in 1980, directed by Sandra Kotzé with Cobus Rossouw and Ronel Kriel and by PACT in the State Theatre, Pretoria in 1986.
2010 version – with Roeline Daneel, Elsabé Daneel, Waldemar Schultz, Susanne Beyers, Antoinette Louw, Lulu Botha, Deon Lotz and ********: KKNK 2010.
Sources
PACT list, 1972.
Die Ryk Weduwee theatre programme, 1976.
PACOFS Drama 25 Years, 1963-1988.
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