Ken Leach

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(****-****). Actor and director. Was the artistic director at the Arena Theatre (19**), and for the PACT English company for three years (19**- 19**). Won Best Director in 1975 for Death of a Salesman. (SACD 1974) (SACD 1975/76) (SACD 1977/78)

LEACH, Ken. (19*-) Actor, director for stage and TV, artistic director. Born in **, studied for a BA (philosophy and English) at the University of Cape Town. He joined CAPAB as actor, then moved to PACT as director in 19**, becoming the Artistic Director of the English Company of PACT in 197*-* and in 1978 the first Resident Director of the Baxter Theatre. In this year he shifted from theatre to become a TV director for the SABC. Among his memorable productions were his TV versions of Shakespeare, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1982), Hamlet (198*) and The Merchant of Venice (198*). In 1993 he became a director, later head director, for Frans Marx’s TV soap Egoli. As actor worked for The Space Theatre (doing **), the Junction Avenue Theatre Company, CAPAB (doing **, **), for PACT (doing A Macbeth in 197*, ). As director did The Cherry Orchard (1978), Absurd Person Singular (1978), The Fantastical History of a Useless Man (1978), Falstaff (CAPAB, 1984), On the Razzle (CAPAB, 1984), ****, *** Winner of a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award as best director for three productions in 1978, ***

LEACH, Ken. He starred in Francois Swart’s production of King John in 1970. He directed Shakespeare’s Richard III for PACT/TRUK at the Alexander Theatre in 1972. He starred in Charles Marowitz’s A Macbeth which was staged at the Alexander in 1973. It also starred Siegfried Mynhardt, Billy Matthews and [[Molly Seftel]. His production of The Duchess of Malfi with Leonie Hofmeyer and Bill Flynn was presented as the opening production of PACT’s Arena Theatre in 1975. He directed thePACT production of Miller’s Death of a Salesman starring Joe Stewardson, Diane Wilson, Bill Flynn and Richard Haines in 1975. He directed The Story of an African Farm, adapted by André P. Brink from Olive Schreiner’s novel starring Annelisa Weiland at the Alexander for PACT in 1975. He directed Feydeau’s A Flea in her Ear with Frantz Dobrowsky, Dorothy-Ann Gould, Diane Wilson, Richard Haines, Paul Slabolepszy, Michael Richard, Annelisa Weiland and Lesley Nott, and Pieter Fourie’s Conspiracy, starring Patrick Mynhardt for PACT at the Alexander in 1976. He directed Frank Wedekind’s Lulu plays for PACT at the Rosebank Arena in 1976. His production of the musical Fangs with Michael Richard, Paul Slabolepszy, Annelisa Weiland, Lesley Nott and Bill Flynn was staged by PACT in 1977. He directed Neil Simon’s The Prisoner of Second Avenue starring Michael McCabe and Erica Rogers for PACT at the Alexander in 1983. He directed Tom and Viv for Pieter Toerien at the Alhambra in August 1986. He directed Simon Gray’s The Common Pursuit at the Alhambra in 1987. ***(Tucker, 1997)

LEACH, Ken, Fangs, (director) The Merchant of VeniceRichard Haines & Sandra Duncan, set design: Penny Simpson; costume design: James Parker, Sand Du Plessis Theatre, Aug. 1985. Megan Kruskal, trained UCT, Glass Theatre with Tjaart Potgieter & Chris Pretorius. The Tempest, Maynardville - dir: Ken Leach. Death of a Salesman with Joe Stewardson (dir: Ken Leach), Awarded the first Standard Bank Young Artist’s Award for Drama in 1984.


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