Marda Vanne

(1897-1970) Stage name for Martha van Hulsteyn. Actress and director.

Biography

Born in Pretoria as Martha van Hulsteyn, she studied acting with Elsie Fogarty at the Central School of Dramatic Art in London.

She was famously, though briefly, married to future Nationalist Prime Minister J.G. Strijdom (the "Lion of the North"), some years before he entered politics. In 1918, after a period as actress in South Africa, she left South Africa to work in England, only returning , now calling herself Marda Vanne, in 1940. She worked in South Africa till 1946, when she returned to England, though she continued to visit and be involved in South African theatre for many years.

She died 29th April 1970 in England.

Her contribution to South African Theatre

She originally joined Leonard Rayne’s company in 1914, performing at the Opera House, Cape Town and the Standard Theatre, Johannesburg under her own name of Martha van Hulsteyn). Sheappeared in a number of plays, inter alia A White Man, Kismet, The Royal Divorce, two new plays by Stephen Black (Helena's Hope, Ltd. and Van Kalabas Does His Bit) in February 1917, and Milestones in 1918.

In the same year she left South Africa for England, where she adopted the stage name of “Marda Vanne” and went on to attain success in London.

Her first appearance was in If at the Ambassador's Theatre on 30 May 1921. She also appeared in New York's Empire Theatre in Easy Virtue.

She returned to South Africa in 1940 and became A director of the resuscitated Pretoria Repertory Theatre. In 1942 she and her friend Gwen ffrangçon-Davies formed a company which toured extensively in South Africa with classical and modern plays during the 1940s. She later returned on occasion and became involved in the establishment of the National Theatre Organisation (N.T.O.), being appointed to the first board in 1948 and doing occasional plays for them. Among her more celebrated South African productions as actress are Watch on the Rhine (194*), Flare Path (194*), What Every Woman Knows (194*), Blithe Spirit (1944), Milestones (194*), The Wind of Heaven (194*), A Month in the Country (194*), Guy Butler’s The Dam (NTO, 1952), Waters of the Moon (???* 1953), Eugene O'Neill’s A Touch of the Poet (NTO, 1961). As director did Die Wewenaar se Vrou (Volksteater, Pretoria, 1949), **.

Partner with Gwen Ffrangçon in the Gwen ffrangçon-Davies / Marda Vanne Company. Presented seasons of plays during the war years at the Standard Theatre. Produced Watch on the Rhine by Lilian Hellman in 1943 at the Standard. Starred in Blithe Spirit in 1944 with Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies, Margaret Inglis and Siegfried Mynhardt. Staged The Merry Wives of Windsor together with Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies in 1945, starring Wensley Pithey as Falstaff. Presented and starred in Emlyn Williams' The Wind of Heaven in 1946. Also starred Zoe Randall, Wensley Pithey and Sid James. Starred in Turgenev's A Month in the Country in 1946 together with Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies, which was their last production before they went back to England. She was appointed artistic advisor of the National Theatre in 1950. Directed Shaw’s Candida for the National Theatre in 1950. Starred in Waters of the Moon by N.C. Hunter in 1953 with Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies. She made her last appearance for the National Theatre in Eugene O'Neill’s A Touch of the Poet in 1961. It was directed by Margaret Webster and was staged at the Alexander Theatre in Johannesburg. The male lead was Johann Nell. Later addition to the Breytenbach's NTO Board of Control together with Elizabeth Sneddon. VANNE, Marda,(Stage Name) Margaretha van Hulsteyn . Joined Leonard Rayne’s company in 1914. A White Man, Kismet, The Royal Divorce, Twelfth Night, Gwen ffrangcon-Davies, 1940/41.

[TH, JH]

Sources

Hartnoll, 19**;

Du Toit, 1988;

Tucker, 1997

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