Delicately crafted’ solo production starring 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.
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.
