Theatre preview: David Muller is performing his solo show, Oom Schalk from the heart, a collection of stories by Herman Charles Bosman at RATA (Royal Arts Town Amphitheatre), Dec 18, 19 2020
Show: Oom Schalk from the heart –stories by Herman Charles Bosman Featuring: David Muller Director: Celia Musikanth When: Friday Dec 18 and Sat Dec 19, 2020 Where: RATA- Royal Arts Town Amphitheatre, 33 Main Street, Riebeek Kasteel Address: The Royal Hotel, 33 Main St, Riebeek Kasteel Tickets: R100 Booking: https://artstown.co.za/book-now/ Website: https://artstown.co.za/ Info: royalartstownamphitheatre@gmail.com Theatre and accommodation packages: Shawn at Riebeek Valley Tours 082 528 6785 or e-mail goodintentconnections@gmail.com Distance from Cape Town: 80km |
Cape Town actor, David Muller, is performing his collection of Oom Schalk Lourens at RATA – two performances only. Muller has received praise for his charming rendition of the Bosman’s famous character, the supposedly “loveable” uncle with a wry take on life in the Groot Marico (a small town between Zeerust and Rustenberg). Bosman was inspired to create the character, after his year teaching in the Groot Marico. It was his first teaching job [around 1925, unable to ascertain exactly from my research]. In 1926, during the school hols, Bosman visited his family in Johannesburg. He quarrelled with his stepbrother and shot and killed him. Sentenced to death, he landed up on death row in Pretoria but the sentence was reduced to ten years with hard labour. Incarcerated, he had plenty time to write. Oom Schalk first appeared in stories written in prison.
It is interesting that Muller is performing Oom Schalk at RATA in Riebeek Kasteel. Here is a character, created in the mid 1920s, inspired by people in a predominantly Afrikaans speaking community and he is popping up, on the stage in an amphitheatre in a small town, lockdown level 1, Covid-19.
