Difference between revisions of "Graham Weir"

From ESAT
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 13: Line 13:
 
He began his career as a performer with [[PACT]] in 1981, later becoming a free-lance artist.  
 
He began his career as a performer with [[PACT]] in 1981, later becoming a free-lance artist.  
  
In 1985 he and his sister founded the hugely successful [[a cappella]] group [[Not the Midnight Mass]], which also featured [[Jenny de Lenta]], [[Alan Glass]] and [[Graham Clarke]].  
+
In 1985 he and his sister founded the hugely successful ''a cappella'' group [[Not the Midnight Mass]], which also featured [[Jenny de Lenta]], [[Alan Glass]] and [[Graham Clarke]].  
  
 
His numerous stage appearances as actor have included roles in ''[[The Dybbuk]]'' 1986, ''[[Macbeth]]'' (as "Ross", 1996), ''[[The Winter's Tale]]'' ([[Maynardville]].  
 
His numerous stage appearances as actor have included roles in ''[[The Dybbuk]]'' 1986, ''[[Macbeth]]'' (as "Ross", 1996), ''[[The Winter's Tale]]'' ([[Maynardville]].  

Revision as of 06:30, 16 December 2020

Graham Weir (19**-2020) Actor, singer, playwright.

Biography

Born in Scotland, Weir came to South Africa at the age of 5, when his parents settled in Benoni on the East Rand. His sister is the actress and singer Christine Weir. The Weir siblings had their initial exposure to stage performance with the musical evenings regularly held at their home and the amateur theatre company founded by his parents. His first stage role was in Oliver Twist for this group.

Graham studied for a year at Wits Drama school and some time at Pretoria Technikon. Then he went to England to dodge the draft, before returning to work in theatre in a variety of capacities.

Graham passed away in Cape Town of a stroke on 1 December, 2020.

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

He began his career as a performer with PACT in 1981, later becoming a free-lance artist.

In 1985 he and his sister founded the hugely successful a cappella group Not the Midnight Mass, which also featured Jenny de Lenta, Alan Glass and Graham Clarke.

His numerous stage appearances as actor have included roles in The Dybbuk 1986, Macbeth (as "Ross", 1996), The Winter's Tale (Maynardville.

Roles in musical productions include shows like Jesus Christ Superstar (Durban Playhouse, 1991), Sweeney Todd, Queen at the Opera, The Shakespeare Revue (1997)

During the course of his 40 year long career he wrote, directed and performed in a number of his own plays and musical pieces, among them Tales from a Dark Corner, Letters from Patient Essop (Baxter Theatre, 19**), Psychedelic Cowboy (Baxter Theatre, 19**), Sister Nun (Baxter, 19**), Jesus hopped the A-train (Baxter Theatre, 19**), How Graham Weir Accidentally Managed to Stay Alive (Kalk Bay Theatre, 2005), Noah (with Megan Choritz), Artscape New Writer’s Programme 2005, Songs of Hangings and Redemptions (directed by Megan Choritz, Kalk Bay Theatre, 2006), Dead Yellow Sands (2016).

As a film actor he appeared in numerous feature films and TV dramas and series,

The films include Boesman and Lena (2001), Spud ("Viking", 2010), Once Upon a Road Trip ("James", 2013), Spud 3 ("Viking", 2014),

Television roles include The Devil's Whore (2008), Hotel ("Oom Dirk", 2016-2017), Of Kings and Prophets (), Black Sails ("Captain Naft", 2014-5), Jamillah and Aladdin (2016), . Van der Merwe ("Doctor", 2017),

Spud 3: Learning to Fly

Viking

2013Once Upon a Road Trip

James

2010Spud

Viking

2008The Devil's Whore (TV Mini-Series)

Sergeant at Arms - Episode #1.3 (2008) ... Sergeant at Arms

2008Crusoe (TV Series)

Rebel Soldier - Bad Blood (2008) ... Rebel Soldier

2007To Be First (TV Movie)

David Hume

2007Goodbye Bafana

Tough warder

2006Bentley (TV Series)

Bentley

2004Charlie

Barrack Sergeant

2002The Piano Player

Sick Man

2002Mama Africa (segment "Raya")
2001Raya (Short)
2000Boesman and Lena

Recycle man

1999Aces (Short)
1999From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (Video)

Lazaro

1997The Adventures of Sinbad (TV Series)

Ruane - The Invaders (1997) ... Ruane

1994The Visual Bible: Acts (Video)

Bar-Jesus

1993Tropical Heat (TV Series)

Ted Waltham - Slumming It (1993) ... Ted Waltham

1993Cyborg Cop

Local 1 Jive

1993Sentinel (TV Movie)

Anvil (1993)

1991Pursuit

Gen. Carlos Da Costa

1990Return to Justice

Jackal

1990Thieves of Fortune

Pirana

1990Burndown

Freddie

1989Final Cut

Snuff Movie Director

1989Rising Storm

Gerard de la Fanool

1989In the Name of Blood

Art

1989Merchants of War

Vaisal

1987An African Dream

Lout 1 (Ned)

1985Van der Merwe P.I.

Rocco

Awards, etc

The 1993-1994 National Vita Award for Best Playwright was awarded to him for Brief Descriptions II and he received two Fleur du Cap Awards, one for Not the Midnight Mass in 2009 and a second in 2016 for Dead Yellow Sands.


Sources

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0918590/

The Dybbuk programme, 1986.

"Akteur Graham Weir sterf skielik", Die Burger 2 December, 2020 (P. 3)

Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities W

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page