Die Ander Dogter
Ragfyn’ solostuk met Sandra Prinsloo in die Goudstad.
Die veteraanaktrise Sandra Prinsloo is dié lente in Johannesburg op die planke in ’n solostuk geskoei op ’n Nobelprysbekroonde roman deur die Franse skrywer Annie Ernaux.
Die Ander Dogter (L’autre fille) is in sprankelende Afrikaans vertaal deur Naòmi Morgan, wat ook die boek en eenvrouvertoning Oskar en die pienk tannie – destyds ook met Prinsloo – vertaal het. Laasgenoemde verhoogproduksie het talle pryse regoor Suid-Afrika ingepalm.
Prinsloo was tot onlangs te sien in die TV-reeks Kelders van geheime en het reeds in ’n rits solostukke soos Die naaimasjien en Kamphoer – die verhaal van Susan Nell gehore landwyd betower. Sy was laas in 2023 in Johannesburg op die planke as die Grieks-Amerikaanse sopraan Maria Callas in Terrence McNally se Master Class. Haar loopbaan van bykans ses dekades lank sluit in ’n hoofrol teenoor sir John Kani in die hoogs omstrede Miss Julie in die Markteater in Newtown. Sy het in 2022 die Fleur du Cap-lewensprestasieprys ontvang vir haar bydrae tot Suid-Afrikaanse teater.
Die bekroonde dramaturg, regisseur en vervaardiger Lara Foot (Karoo Moose) behartig die spelleiding van Die Ander Dogter, wat op Vrydag 18 September in The Lesedi by Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, open. Foot is tans die uitvoerende hoof en artistieke direkteur van die Baxter-teater in Kaapstad en is in die buiteland bekroon vir haar regie, skryfwerk en innovering met die skepping van Life & Times of Michael K, geskoei op J.M. Coetzee se Booker-bekroonde, gelyknamige roman.
Die Ander Dogter handel oor ’n geheimsinnige ouer suster wat op sesjarige ouderdom gesterf het, twee jaar voor die skrywer Annie Ernaux se geboorte. Die hoofkarakter en verteller (Ernaux) in Die Ander Dogter ontdek dié skokkende feit op tienjarige ouderdom toe sy toevallig ’n gesprek afluister en besef dat sy haar hele lewe lank die “instaankind” vir haar geheimsinnige en steeds treurende ouers was.
Nadat sy geglo het sy is die enigste kind, besef sy dat sy ’n ander dogter, Ginette, vervang het – die afwesige een in elke gesprek wat voortleef in Annie se ouers se woordelose verdriet.
Annie Ernaux se roman handel oor ’n bepeinsende ondersoek na haar sussie se bestaan, tragiese afsterwe en ’n oorlewingstryd midde armoede in die vorm van ’n lang, persoonlike brief.
Ginette is vermoedelik aan witseerkeel oorlede en Annie reis deur ’n rits herinneringe om haar plek binne die familie te ondersoek. As sy nie ’n plaasvervanger is nie, wie is sy werklik – nie net as skrywer nie, maar ook as mens en familielid?
Die Ander Dogter is oorspronklik in 2011 gepubliseer as “die brief wat nog nooit geskryf is nie”, geïnspireer deur Franz Kafka se “Brief aan sy vader”. Die veelvlakkige en teer verhoogdrama handel oor die jare lange geheime waardeur Annie probeer sif, terwyl sy haar skuldgevoelens as oorlewende (“survivor’s guilt”) probeer verwerk.
As vertaler is Morgan met die Suid-Afrikaanse Vertalersinstituut-prys vir uitnemendheid in kinderliteratuurvertaling vir Oskar en die pienk tannie en Monsieur Ibrahim en die blomme van die Koran bekroon en het ook pryse ontvang vir haar vertalings van dramas deur Samuel Beckett en Yasmina Reza. Sy is ’n navorsingsgenoot aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat.
Die Ander Dogter is vir die verhoog verwerk deur Saartjie Botha en die produksie is ontwerp deur Wolfie Britz. Botha is bekend om bekroonde dramas soos Die goue seun, Balbesit en Verkeer en het onder andere Antjie Krog se ’n Ander tongval vir die verhoog verwerk. Die teater- en beligtingsontwerper Britz is al bekroon vir sy inkleding van Athol Fugard se Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act.
Die Ander Dogter is 70 minute lank en word beskryf as ’n “ragfyn” verhoogwerk oor skuld, verlies en familie. Dit het ’n ouderdomsperk van dertien.
“Die Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees is verheug om saam met Joburg Theatre aan Die Andre Dogter te werk,” het Saartjie Botha, feesdirekteur, gesê. “Dit is die eerste keer dat ons saamgewerk het en ons sien uit na talle samewerkingsooreenkomste in die toekoms. Die feeslandskap in Suid-Afrika floreer, maar is nie volhoubaar sonder die steun van staatsgesubsidieerde teaters nie. Ons is opgewonde om Sandra Prinsloo na Johannesburg te bring ná suksesvolle speelvakke by die KKNK, Suidoosterfees, Innibos en die Vrystaat-kunstefees.”
James Ngcobo, artistieke direkteur van Joburg Theatre, sê: “Ons is altyd op soek na stories wat ’n uitbreiding is van ons kuratoriële matriks, om deurentyd ons gehore te verras en opgewonde te maak oor hoe eklekties hierdie teaterruimtes kan wees. By Joburg Theatre streef ons voorts daarna om produksies in verskeie tale te huisves en is trots daarop om ’n Afrikaanse werk van hierdie statuur te verwelkom. Ons is absoluut opgewonde oor Lara Foot en Sandra Prinsloo wat hierheen kom met ’n nuwe werk.”
Die produksie open Vrydag 18 September om 19:30, met verdere vertonings op Saterdag 19 September om 15:00 en 19:30; Sondag 20 September om 15:00; Donderdag 24 September en Vrydag 25 September om 19:30; Saterdag 26 September om 15:00 en 19:30; en Sondag 27 September om 15:00.
Kaartjies kos R250 en kan aanlyn deur www.joburgtheatre.com of Webtickets bespreek word, telefonies by 0861 670 670, of direk by die Joburg Theatre-loket.
Die loket is Maandag tot Vrydag van 09:00–17:00 en Saterdag van 09:00–14:00 oop, asook vanaf drie uur voor elke vertoning.
MEDIA QUERIES
Bridget van Oerle
083 263 6991
Bridget@thebuzhive.co.za
Bongani Maseko
bongani@joburgtheatre.com
083 275 1230
Joburg Theatre
http://www.joburgtheatre.com
Sandra Prinsloo comes to the City of Gold
Veteran actress Sandra Prinsloo takes to the Johannesburg stage this spring in a solo production based on a novel by Nobel Prize-winning French author Annie Ernaux.
Die Ander Dogter (L’autre fille) has been translated into vibrant Afrikaans by Naòmi Morgan, who also translated the book and one-woman production Oskar en die pienk tannie, which also starred Prinsloo. That stage production received numerous awards across South Africa.
Until recently, Prinsloo appeared in the television series Kelders van geheime. She has captivated audiences across the country in several solo productions, including Die naaimasjien and Kamphoer – die verhaal van Susan Nell. She last appeared on stage in 2023 as Greek-American soprano Maria Callas in Terrence McNally’s Master Class.
Her career, spanning almost six decades, includes a leading role opposite Sir John Kani in the highly controversial Miss Julie at the Market Theatre in Newtown. In 2022, she received the Fleur du Cap Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to South African theatre.
Award-winning playwright, director and producer Lara Foot (Karoo Moose) directs Die Ander Dogter, which opens at The Lesedi at Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on Friday, 18 September.
Foot is currently the CEO and Artistic Director of the Baxter Theatre Centre in Cape Town. She has received international recognition for her directing, writing and innovation in creating Life & Times of Michael K, based on J.M. Coetzee’s Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name.
Die Ander Dogter centres on a mysterious older sister who died at the age of six, two years before the birth of author Annie Ernaux. The central character and narrator, Ernaux, discovers this shocking fact at the age of ten when she accidentally overhears a conversation and realises that she has spent her entire life as the “replacement child” for her secretive and still-grieving parents.
Having always believed that she was an only child, she discovers that she replaced another daughter, Ginette—the absent child in every conversation, who continues to live within the wordless grief of Annie’s parents.
Annie Ernaux’s novel takes the form of a long, personal letter and offers a reflective exploration of her sister’s existence and tragic death, as well as the family’s struggle for survival amid poverty.
Ginette is believed to have died from diphtheria, and Annie journeys through a series of memories as she tries to understand her place within the family. If she is not merely a replacement, who is she really—not only as a writer, but also as a person and a member of the family?
Die Ander Dogter was originally published in 2011 as “the letter that was never written”, inspired by Franz Kafka’s Letter to His Father. This multilayered and tender stage drama explores the long-held secrets Annie attempts to sift through as she tries to process her survivor’s guilt.
As a translator, Morgan received the South African Translators’ Institute Award for Outstanding Translation of Children’s Literature for Oskar en die pienk tannie and Monsieur Ibrahim en die blomme van die Koran. She has also received awards for her translations of plays by Samuel Beckett and Yasmina Reza. She is a research fellow at the University of the Free State.
Die Ander Dogter was adapted for the stage by Saartjie Botha, with production design by Wolfie Britz. Botha is known for award-winning plays including Die goue seun, Balbesit and Verkeer. She also adapted Antjie Krog’s ’n Ander tongval for the stage.
Theatre and lighting designer Britz has received recognition for his design of Athol Fugard’s Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act.
Running for 70 minutes, Die Ander Dogter has been described as a “delicately crafted” stage work about guilt, loss and family. It carries an age restriction of 13.
“The Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees is delighted to be collaborating with Joburg Theatre on Die Ander Dogter,” said festival director Saartjie Botha. “This is the first time we have worked together, and we look forward to many more collaborations in the future. South Africa’s festival landscape is flourishing, but it is not sustainable without the support of state-subsidised theatres. We are excited to bring Sandra Prinsloo to Johannesburg following successful seasons at the KKNK, Suidoosterfees, Innibos and the Vrystaat Arts Festival.”
James Ngcobo, Artistic Director of Joburg Theatre, said: “We are always looking for stories that expand our curatorial framework, continually surprising our audiences and exciting them about how eclectic these theatre spaces can be. At Joburg Theatre, we also strive to host productions in a variety of languages and are proud to welcome an Afrikaans work of this stature. We are absolutely thrilled that Lara Foot and Sandra Prinsloo are coming here with a new work.”
The production opens on Friday, 18 September at 19:30, with further performances on Saturday, 19 September at 15:00 and 19:30; Sunday, 20 September at 15:00; Thursday, 24 September and Friday, 25 September at 19:30; Saturday, 26 September at 15:00 and 19:30; and Sunday, 27 September at 15:00.
Tickets cost R250 and can be booked online through www.joburgtheatre.com or Webtickets, by calling 0861 670 670, or directly at the Joburg Theatre Box Office.
The Box Office is open Monday to Friday from 09:00–17:00, Saturday from 09:00–14:00, and from three hours before every performance.
MEDIA QUERIES
Bridget van Oerle
083 263 6991
Bridget@thebuzhive.co.za
Bongani Maseko
bongani@joburgtheatre.com
083 275 1230
Joburg Theatre
http://www.joburgtheatre.com
