Amstel Playwright of the Year Award
2 appearances
-
Edition 2 (1979) Special Award
-
Edition 4 (1981) Winner
Paul Slabolepszy
ポール・スラボレプスキー
Paul Slabolepszy
Aliases:
Slab
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1948 （Bolton, England）
- Nationality
- South African, British
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Roman Catholic
- Residence History
- Musina → Pietersburg (now Polokwane) → Witbank → Cape Town → Johannesburg
Career
- Occupations
- Actor, Playwright, Screenwriter, Producer
- Active Years
- 1972-
- Affiliations
- The Space Theatre, Market Theatre
- Influenced By
- Athol Fugard, John Kani, Barney Simon, Yvonne Bryceland
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Cape Town | English and Drama | Department of English and Drama | — | — | South Africa |
University of Cape Town
English and Drama
/ Department of English and Drama
Country:
South Africa
Originally intended a career in radio but shifted to drama while at university.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Standard Bank Young Artist Award | — | — | Standard Bank | 受賞 |
| 1993 | Vita Awards (Best Actor) | The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie | Best Actor | Vita Awards | 受賞 |
| 1993 | Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards (Best Play) | The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie | Best Play | Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards | 受賞 |
| 1993 | Dalro Awards (Best Play) | The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie | Best Play | Dalro | 受賞 |
| 1992 | Amstel Playwright of the Year Award | Mooi Street Moves | — | Amstel | 受賞 |
| 1993 | Star Tonight IGI Life Vita Award for Comedy | The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie | Comedy | The Star / IGI Life | 受賞 |
Standard Bank Young Artist Award
1983
Organization:
Standard Bank
Result:
受賞
Vita Awards (Best Actor)
1993
Work:
The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie
Category:
Best Actor
Organization:
Vita Awards
Result:
受賞
Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards (Best Play)
1993
Work:
The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie
Category:
Best Play
Organization:
Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards
Result:
受賞
Dalro Awards (Best Play)
1993
Work:
The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie
Category:
Best Play
Organization:
Dalro
Result:
受賞
Amstel Playwright of the Year Award
1992
Work:
Mooi Street Moves
Organization:
Amstel
Result:
受賞
Star Tonight IGI Life Vita Award for Comedy
1993
Work:
The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie
Category:
Comedy
Organization:
The Star / IGI Life
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Saturday Night at the Palace
1982 PlayA one-act play dealing with tense interpersonal and racial dynamics in South Africa, portraying violence and prejudice in a small-town setting.
Race relationsSmall-town tensionsViolence and prejudice
Adaptations
- [Film] Saturday Night at the Palace (1987)
The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie
1992 PlayNear a one-man show, it follows Eddie, a middle-aged man's loneliness, disillusionment and hope, reflecting social unease in South Africa.
LonelinessMiddle-class uneaseIdentityHope and despair
Mooi Street Moves
1992 PlayA collection of shorter pieces and scenes portraying the feelings and social tensions of lower-middle-class white South Africans.
Social tensionClassEveryday humour
Over the Hill
1985 PlayA play about conflicts within a small community and individual struggles; later adapted as the basis for a film screenplay.
CommunityPersonal conflict
Running Riot
2001 PlayAn ensemble piece with comedic elements; later adapted into a film for which Slabolepszy contributed to the screenplay.
ComedyEnsemble castSocial satire
Adaptations
- [Film] Running Riot (2006)
Heel Against the Head
1995 PlayA play with comedic elements that aims to provoke laughter from the audience.
ComedyInterpersonal relationships
Bibliography
- Mooi Street and Other Moves - Wits University Press, 1994
- Drama for a New South Africa: Seven Plays - Indiana University Press, 1999 (contains Mooi Street Moves)
Adaptations
- Film adaptation of 'Saturday Night at the Palace' (1987)
- Film adaptation of 'Running Riot' (2006)
- Adaptation/film version of 'Heel Against the Head' (1999)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Conversational dialogueSocial realismBlack humourActor-centered, improvisational theatrical approach
- Recurring Motifs
- Lower-middle-class white anxietyIdentity and alienationSuburban/small-town lifeCoexistence of humour and pathos
Legacy
Widely regarded as one of South Africa's leading playwrights after Athol Fugard. He helped found non-racial theatre companies, his plays have been staged internationally and adapted for film, and he has had a significant influence on South African theatre.
In Popular Culture
- His works have been staged internationally and have influenced film and television.
- Frequently featured at South African theatre festivals.
Trivia
- Born in Bolton, England in 1948. His mother was English and his father a Polish refugee.
- Grew up in Musina, Pietersburg (now Polokwane) and Witbank.
- Published sports journalism as a teenager, contributing to local newspapers from age 14.
- Co-founder of The Space Theatre in 1972 and a founding member of the Market Theatre in 1976.
- 'The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie' won numerous awards in 1993 and is among the most-awarded plays in South African theatre history.
- Studied English and Drama at the University of Cape Town.