Difference between revisions of "Serpent Players"

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Founded in 1963 by a group of industrial and service workers led by [[Norman Ntshinga]]. Working with Athol Fugard and Sheila Fugard, they performed in [[St Stephen's Hall]] and other spaces in New Brighton and initially tended to produce local adaptations of European classics. These include Büchner’s ''[[Woyzeck]]'', Brecht’s ''[[The Caucasian Chalk Circle]]'', Sophocles’s ''[[Antigone]]'' (1965) and Machiavelli’s ''[[La Mandragola]]'' (directed by Fugard, 196* as ''[[The Cure]]'' and set in a township).
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Founded in 1963 by a group of industrial and service workers led by [[Norman Ntshinga]]. Working with Athol Fugard and Sheila Fugard, they performed in [[St Stephen's Hall]] and other spaces in New Brighton and initially tended to produce local adaptations of European classics. These include Büchner’s ''[[Woyzeck]]'', Brecht’s ''[[The Caucasian Chalk Circle]]'', Sophocles’s ''[[Antigone]]'' (1965) and Machiavelli’s ''[[La Mandragola]]'' (directed by Fugard, 196* as ''[[The Cure]]'' and set in a township).  
 
 
When they turned to improvisation on the daily lives of local people, they again worked with Fugard and produced ''[[The Coat]]'' (1966, revived for the [[SABTU/TECON Festival]] in 1972* Published 1967), ****. ***??? In 1972 they also did Camus’s ''[[The Just]]'' (also known as  ''[[The Terrorists]]'') for the [[SABTU/TECON Festival]] in Durban. The [[Serpent Players]] led to a long term friendship and partnership between [[Athol Fugard]] and members [[John Kani]] and [[Winston Ntshona]], which was ''inter alia'' to result in such memorable workshopped plays as ''[[The Island]]'' and ''[[Sizwe Banzi is Dead]]''.
 
 
 
Scrap-book with newspaper cuttings, programmes and correspondence relating to the Serpent Players productions of ''[[Friday's Bread on Monday]]'' 1970-1972.
 
  
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When they turned to improvisation on the daily lives of local people, they again worked with Fugard and produced ''[[The Coat]]'' (1966, revived for the [[SABTU/TECON Festival]] in 1972* Published 1967), ****. ***??? In 1972 they also did Camus’s ''[[The Just]]'' (also known as  ''[[The Terrorists]]'') for the [[SABTU/TECON Festival]] in Durban.
  
 +
The [[Serpent Players]] led to a long term friendship and partnership between [[Athol Fugard]] and members [[John Kani]] and [[Winston Ntshona]], which was ''inter alia'' to result in such memorable workshopped plays as ''[[The Island]]'' and ''[[Sizwe Banzi is Dead]]''.
  
 +
Another production of the group was ''[[Friday's Bread on Monday]]'' circa 1970.
  
 
The group also had exchange agreements with [[Rob Amato]]'s East London based [[Imitha Players]] and [[Don Maclennan]]'s Grahamstown group the [[Ikhwezi Players]].  
 
The group also had exchange agreements with [[Rob Amato]]'s East London based [[Imitha Players]] and [[Don Maclennan]]'s Grahamstown group the [[Ikhwezi Players]].  
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[[Loren Kruger]], 1999: 136-138, 156, 159;  
 
[[Loren Kruger]], 1999: 136-138, 156, 159;  
  
[[Sydney Paul Gosher]], 1988;
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[[ESAT Bibliography Gl-Go|Gosher]], 1988.
 +
 
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[[ESAT Bibliography Tra-Tz|Tucker]], 1997.
  
[[Percy Tucker]], 1997
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Material held by [[NELM]]: [Collection: FUGARD, Athol]: 1987. 25. 12.
  
 
== For more information ==
 
== For more information ==

Revision as of 12:39, 3 February 2016

Founded in 1963 by a group of industrial and service workers led by Norman Ntshinga. Working with Athol Fugard and Sheila Fugard, they performed in St Stephen's Hall and other spaces in New Brighton and initially tended to produce local adaptations of European classics. These include Büchner’s Woyzeck, Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Sophocles’s Antigone (1965) and Machiavelli’s La Mandragola (directed by Fugard, 196* as The Cure and set in a township).

When they turned to improvisation on the daily lives of local people, they again worked with Fugard and produced The Coat (1966, revived for the SABTU/TECON Festival in 1972* Published 1967), ****. ***??? In 1972 they also did Camus’s The Just (also known as The Terrorists) for the SABTU/TECON Festival in Durban.

The Serpent Players led to a long term friendship and partnership between Athol Fugard and members John Kani and Winston Ntshona, which was inter alia to result in such memorable workshopped plays as The Island and Sizwe Banzi is Dead.

Another production of the group was Friday's Bread on Monday circa 1970.

The group also had exchange agreements with Rob Amato's East London based Imitha Players and Don Maclennan's Grahamstown group the Ikhwezi Players.

Sources

Loren Kruger, 1999: 136-138, 156, 159;

Gosher, 1988.

Tucker, 1997.

Material held by NELM: [Collection: FUGARD, Athol]: 1987. 25. 12.

For more information

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