Siegfried Mynhardt

(“Siegie”). (1909-1996) Venerated bilingual (Afrikaans and English) actor and director. * Began his career as actor for the Hanekom Geselskap (Company) at the age of 17. A sought after performer, he worked for most of the Afrikaans companies in the 1930s, including the André Huguenet Company (1933). Later founded his own company ** to do **. Went to England in 19*, where he worked for the Charles Hickman Company and performed at London's Old Vic. During the war years, he returned to South Africa to perform for the Krugersdorp Municipal Dramatic and Operatic Society (KMDOS) and the Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies-Marda Vanne Company between 1941 and 1946. In 1947 he co-directed and performed in the Afrikaans Hamlet with Anna Neethling-Pohl, playing Laertes*? himself. Over the years he performed for the Cockpit Players, PACT and the NTO, acting in a huge number of roles and often under the direction of Leonard Schach, Leontine Sagan, and many more. Plays include Blithe Spirit (1944), Altyd my Liefste (1947/8), Dear Brutus (1948), [*?Nag het die wind gebring (1948/49), An Inspector Calls (1948/49), Minnaar onder die Wapen (Arms and the Man, 1949), Die Indringer (The Outsider, 1949), The Guardsman (1949), The Glass Menagerie (??* 1949), M acbeth (in Afrikaans, 1950), Hassan (1950)*???] Volpone (1952), Twelfth Night (1953), The Caretaker (1960), Beyond the Fringe (1961), The Birthday Party (1962), The Night of the Igauna (1962), The Cherry Orchard (PACT, 1963), Heartbreak House (1967) and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1968). His film career is equally distinguished, and includes such Afrikaans hits as **, ** and Oupa Brompie (19**). Similarly he did a number of telev ision dramas, including ** MYNHARDT, Siegfried. Actor who performed for the Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies-Marda Vanne Company which presented seasons of plays during the war years at the Standard Theatre. Formed his own company in 1942. Performed Die Rooi Pruik and an Afrikaans translation of Ladies in retirement with Berdine Grunewald and Lydia Lindeque. Was so popular, it was taken North to be performed for the South African troops in the war. Starred in Blithe Spirit in 1944 with Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies, Marda Vanne and Margaret Inglis. Performed in Laburnum Grove in 1946 which was staged by Wensley Pithey and company. Directed Laura at The Standard for the REPS in 1947. Starred in Somerset Maugham's Lady Frderick in 1947. It was presented by The Munro-Inglis Company, and was their last Standard Theatre production. Directed an Afrikaans production of Hamlet in 1947. It was staged at His Majesty's Theatre and starred André Huguenet as the Prince of Denmark, and Michal Grobbelaar as Marcellus. He toured with the National Theatre throughout 1948 with a company including André Huguenet, Leon Gluckman, Frank Wise, Lorna Cowell, Vivienne Drummond, Mathilda Hanekom and Enone van den Bergh performing many productions. He starred in Ben Jonson’s hit show Volpone which was directed by Leonard Schach for the National Theatre at the Reps Theatre in 1952. Also starring Pieter Geldenhuys, Gerrit Wessels, Edna Jacobson, Frank Wise and Vivienne Drummond. Volpone enjoyed another run at the Benoni Town Hall later that same year. He starred in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, produced, directed and played in by Margaret Inglis at the Windmill Theatre in 1955. He played Dauphin in Shaw’s Saint Joan, which Leon Gluckman directed for the National Theatre in 1959, also starring Kita Redelinghuys. He starred in the hit musical comedy Irma la Douce, staged by the Brooke company in 1960. Frank Staff did the choreography for this musical starring Heather Lloyd-Jones, John Whiteley and Robert Haber. It toured all the major cities and the Rhodesias. He played in the Cockpit Players productions of Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker and Paddy Chayefsky’s prizewinning The Tenth Man at the Playhouse in 1961 with actors Michael McGovern and Nigel Hawthorne. He starred in Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party, followed by Tennessee Williams’ The Night of the Iguana which was staged at the Playhouse by the Cockpit Players in 1962. Leonard Schach directed, and in his company of actors for these plays were Michael McGovern, Margaret Inglis, Marjorie Gordon, Diane Wilson and Kerry Jordan. He starred in John Fernald’s production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard which was staged for PACT at the Alexander in 1963. It also starred Patrick Mynhardt, Jenny Laird, Arthur Hall, Estelle Kohler and Fiona Fraser. He directed the famous Ben Travers farce, Rookery Nook at the Civic Theatre for PACT in December 1963. He starred in Joan Brickhill and Louis Burke production of Molièr’s The Miser for PACT in 1964. He was kept in steady employment by PACT in 1966. (See PACT) He starred in Leonard Schach’s production of Shaw’s Heartbreak House for PACT at the Alexander in 1967. It also starred Joan Blake, Alec Bell, Elizabeth Meyer, Kerry Jordan, François Swart, Frank Lazarus and Maggie Soboil. He starred in Hadrian VII, directed by Robert Mohr for PACT at the Alexander in 1969. He starred in A Month in the Country, which Leonard Schach directed for PACT at the Alexander in 1969. It also starred Erica Rogers, Kerry Jordan and Vivienne Drummond. He starred in Charles Marowitz’s A Macbeth which was staged at the Alexander in 1973. It also starred Molly Seftel, Billy Matthews and Ken Leach. He starred in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida, directed by John Hussey, together with Annelisa Weiland, James White and Eckard Rabe for PACT in 1974. Anthony Farmer designed an intimate dinner theatre in the place of the Siegfried Mynhardt Theatre (the old Academy) which was ravaged by fire circa 1984. The opening production was Oh! La! La! conceived and directed by Siegfried Mynhardt. MYNHARDT, Siegfried, & Lydia Lindeque stig geselskap om troepe in Egipte te vermaak met Die Rooi Pruik. Die jakkalsstreke van Scapino, vertaal deur Bartho Smit, Jannie Gildenhuys (regie), Tilana Hanekom, Siegfried Mynhardt, Pieter Geldenhuys, Kita Redelinghuys, Cobus Rossouw, Anton Grobler, Leonora Nel, Johan van Zyl, Frank Graves (dekor) Doreen Graves (kostuums), Peter Rorke (musiek gekomponeer).

Sources

Binge, 19**, Du Toit, 1988; Tucker, 199 [TH, JH]

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