Johan Brewis

Johan Brewis (b. Fraserburg, 13/10/1918 – d. 18/11/2000) was an actor.

Biography

Johannes Casper Stephanus Brewis was born on the farm Modderfontein in the Fraserburg district of the old Cape Province. He joined the Anton Ackermann Geselskap at a very early age and one of the first productions in which he appeared was an Afrikaans adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, entitled Koop my Blomme (1940), which was staged at the Standard Theatre in Johannesburg with Pikkie Uys in the lead. Other appearances for Ackermann were in Hier Kom Japie (1943), Onskuldig Veroordeel (1943) and O Diep Rivier, O Donker Stroom (1945), as well as Die Hele Dorp Skinder and Martjie, die Maltrap (dates uncertain). In the early 1980s he was affiliated with SUKOVS and acted in Die Ryk Weduwee (1980), Hond se Gedagte (1981) and André P. Brink’s Afrikaans adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, retitled Die Tragedie van Romeo en Juliet (1981). The latter was produced by Sandra Kotzé, recorded by the SABC and transmitted in June 1982.

He also appeared in supporting roles in a number of films, including four directed by David Millin and three by Ivan Hall. For television he acted in an episode of the series Die Swart Kat (1985), directed by Bromley Cawood. In 1944 he married the actress Marie Herselman, a fellow member of the Anton Ackermann Geselskap. Their daughter, Luana Brewis, was a senior archivist at the National Film, Video and Sound Archive in Pretoria. She also edited the CARFO film Thaba (1977), together with its director Willie Alheit.