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The life and work of Yvonne Bryceland : an arts-based investigation
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation spotlights South African actress and theatre practitioner Yvonne Bryceland, who earned respect and admiration during her lifetime but has largely been marginalised in South African theatre history. Chapter One addresses the motivations and methods for the study,...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2017
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| _version_ | 1867613861083873280 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Hofer, Alison Renee |
| author2 | Prigge-Pienaar, Samantha |
| author_browse | Hofer, Alison Renee Prigge-Pienaar, Samantha |
| author_facet | Prigge-Pienaar, Samantha Hofer, Alison Renee |
| author_sort | Hofer, Alison Renee |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation spotlights South African actress and theatre practitioner Yvonne Bryceland, who earned respect
and admiration during her lifetime but has largely been marginalised in South African theatre history. Chapter
One addresses the motivations and methods for the study, offering an explanation of my context as an artistic
researcher/educator. A brief biography of Bryceland is provided followed by a description of the extensive
process of gathering information from a variety of sources, including personal communications and interviews
with friends, colleagues and family members, as well as archival material and documented footage of staged and
filmed performances. The various approaches taken in discussing Bryceland’s quality of acting are explained,
and reasons for how and why new discoveries and adaptations were made during the research process.
In Chapter Two, Bryceland’s life story is captured and distilled in an arts-based research artefact, Dancing with
Darkness. The screenplay as heuristic was used to reveal Bryceland as the central character in a dramatic period
of South African theatre history. From this focal point, further discussion about Bryceland is offered exploring
three distinct, but overlapping, aspects, namely: the extraordinary quality of her acting work; her collaborations
with well-known playwright Athol Fugard; and her establishment, with Fugard and her husband Brian Astbury,
of The Space as a radically alternative theatre.
Chapter Three discusses how the quality of Bryceland’s acting work often led colleagues and audiences to
describe her performances in words that capture a sense of magic and awe. In attempting to describe Bryceland’s
acting techniques and position her as an exemplary South African actress, this chapter reveals how the discussion
was broadened and deepened to incorporate metaphysical notions for which the Spanish concept of duende was
applied and adapted as a potent symbol for Bryceland’s artistry.
Together with Fugard, Bryceland contributed some outstanding plays to South Africa theatre history, which offer
traces of the country’s social and political evolution from the 1970s to 1990s. Chapter Three explores the
intensity of the artistic symbiosis between Bryceland and Fugard, and their focus on their theatre art as a means
to express truth.
Chapter Four describes what led to the establishment of The Space theatre by Bryceland, Fugard and Astbury;
to what extent the theatre work being done at The Space was different; and Bryceland’s determination that the
theatre remain open to casts and audiences of all races. This chapter in particular reveals The Space as a veritable
hothouse for new talent, providing well-known actors, writers and directors their first opportunities in theatre
practice, as well as serving as a catalyst for the establishment of similar theatres in South Africa.
The concluding chapter highlights the significant impact that Bryceland has had on the nature and voice of South
African theatre, by her contributions to the philosophy and practice of diverse practitioners, and as such positions
Bryceland as deserving consideration as one of the key figures in South African theatre history. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/100827 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:51.481Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateRange | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/100827 The life and work of Yvonne Bryceland : an arts-based investigation Hofer, Alison Renee Prigge-Pienaar, Samantha Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama. Bryceland, Yvonne -- Biography Bryceland, Yvonne -- Interviews Hofer, Alison Renee -- Dancing with darkness South African theatre -- History Actresses -- Biography UCTD ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation spotlights South African actress and theatre practitioner Yvonne Bryceland, who earned respect and admiration during her lifetime but has largely been marginalised in South African theatre history. Chapter One addresses the motivations and methods for the study, offering an explanation of my context as an artistic researcher/educator. A brief biography of Bryceland is provided followed by a description of the extensive process of gathering information from a variety of sources, including personal communications and interviews with friends, colleagues and family members, as well as archival material and documented footage of staged and filmed performances. The various approaches taken in discussing Bryceland’s quality of acting are explained, and reasons for how and why new discoveries and adaptations were made during the research process. In Chapter Two, Bryceland’s life story is captured and distilled in an arts-based research artefact, Dancing with Darkness. The screenplay as heuristic was used to reveal Bryceland as the central character in a dramatic period of South African theatre history. From this focal point, further discussion about Bryceland is offered exploring three distinct, but overlapping, aspects, namely: the extraordinary quality of her acting work; her collaborations with well-known playwright Athol Fugard; and her establishment, with Fugard and her husband Brian Astbury, of The Space as a radically alternative theatre. Chapter Three discusses how the quality of Bryceland’s acting work often led colleagues and audiences to describe her performances in words that capture a sense of magic and awe. In attempting to describe Bryceland’s acting techniques and position her as an exemplary South African actress, this chapter reveals how the discussion was broadened and deepened to incorporate metaphysical notions for which the Spanish concept of duende was applied and adapted as a potent symbol for Bryceland’s artistry. Together with Fugard, Bryceland contributed some outstanding plays to South Africa theatre history, which offer traces of the country’s social and political evolution from the 1970s to 1990s. Chapter Three explores the intensity of the artistic symbiosis between Bryceland and Fugard, and their focus on their theatre art as a means to express truth. Chapter Four describes what led to the establishment of The Space theatre by Bryceland, Fugard and Astbury; to what extent the theatre work being done at The Space was different; and Bryceland’s determination that the theatre remain open to casts and audiences of all races. This chapter in particular reveals The Space as a veritable hothouse for new talent, providing well-known actors, writers and directors their first opportunities in theatre practice, as well as serving as a catalyst for the establishment of similar theatres in South Africa. The concluding chapter highlights the significant impact that Bryceland has had on the nature and voice of South African theatre, by her contributions to the philosophy and practice of diverse practitioners, and as such positions Bryceland as deserving consideration as one of the key figures in South African theatre history. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif plaas die Suid-Afrikaanse aktrise en teaterpraktisyn, Yvonne Bryceland, onder die soeklig. Hoewel sy respek en bewondering gedurende haar leeftyd ontvang het, is sy grotendeels in die Suid-Afrikaanse teatergeskiedenis gemarginaliseer. Hoofstuk Een fokus op die motivering en metodes vir die studie, en bied ‘n verduideliking van my konteks as ‘n artistieke navorser/opvoedkundige aan. ‘n Kort biografie van Bryceland word verskaf, gevolg deur ‘n beskrywing van die lang en moeilike proses van inligtingsinsameling vanaf ‘n verskeidenheid van bronne, insluitend persoonlike kommunikasie en onderhoude met vriende, kollegas en familielede, asook argiefmateriaal en gedokumenteerde rekords van verhoog- en filmoptredes. Die verskillende benaderings om Bryceland se kwaliteit van toneelspel te beskryf, met verklarings oor hoe en waarom die navorsingsproses nuwe prosesse en aanpassings genoop het, word verduidelik. In Hoofstuk Twee word Bryceland se biografiese besonderhede en lewensverhaal saamgevat en in ‘n draaiboek as kunsgebaseerde navorsingsartefak, Dancing with Darkness, vasgevang. Die draaiboek is as eksploratiewe ondersoek gebruik om Bryceland as die sentrale karakter in ‘n dramatiese tydperk van die Suid-Afrikaanse teatergeskiedenis te onthul. Vanaf hierdie sentrale fokuspunt word verdere bespreking oor Bryceland aangebied, wat drie onafhanklike maar oorvleuelende aspekte van haar lewe eksploreer: die uitstaande kwaliteit van haar toneelwerk; haar samewerking met die bekende toneelskrywer, Athol Fugard; en haar geselskap met Fugard, en haar man, Brian Astbury, van The Space, as radikaal-alternatiewe teater. Hoofstuk Drie ondersoek hoe die kwaliteit van Bryceland se verhoogwerk ander kollegas en gehore dikwels geïnspireer het om haar optredes in woorde van ‘magiese verwondering’ te omskryf. Ten einde Bryceland se toneeltegnieke te beskryf en haar as uitstaande Suid Afrikaanse aktrise te posisioneer, onthul hierdie hoofstuk hoe die bespreking verbreed en verdiep is om metafisiese gedagtes in te sluit waarvoor die Spaanse konsep, duende, as kragtige simbool vir Bryceland se begaafdheid gebruik en aangepas is. Bryceland het saam met Fugard van die mees uitstaande toneelstukke tot die Suid-Afrikaanse teater-geskiedenis bygedra, wat ook residu van die land se sosiale en politieke evolusie van die 1970s tot die 1990s demonstreer. Hoofstuk Vier ondersoek onder meer die intensiteit van die artistieke simbiose tussen Bryceland en Fugard, en hulle fokus op teaterkuns as ‘n middel om die waarheid uit te druk. Hoofstuk Vyf beskryf wat aanleiding gegee het in die vestiging van The Space teater deur Bryceland, Fugard en Astbury; tot watter mate die teaterwerk wat by The Space gedoen was, verskillend was; en Bryceland se verbetenheid dat die teater oop moes wees vir spelers en gehore van alle rasse. Dié hoofstuk openbaar The Space as ‘n wesenlike kweekhuis vir nuwe talent, wat vir sommige bekende akteurs, skrywers en regisseurs hul eerste geleenthede in teaterpraktyk gegee het, terwyl dit ook as ‘n katalisator vir die vestiging van soortgelyke teaters in Suid-Afrika gedien het. Die slot hoofstuk aksentueer die feit dat Bryceland ‘n betekenisvolle impak op die aard en stem van Suid- Afrikaanse teater gehad het wat bygedra het tot die filosofie en praktyk van diverse spesialiste en kundiges, en as sulks dat Bryceland erkenning as een van die sleutelfigure in die Suid-Afrikaanse teatergeskiedenis verdien. Doctoral 2017-02-07T10:22:53Z 2017-03-29T11:35:36Z 2017-02-07T10:22:53Z 2017-03-29T11:35:36Z 2017-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/100827 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 257 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Bryceland, Yvonne -- Biography Bryceland, Yvonne -- Interviews Hofer, Alison Renee -- Dancing with darkness South African theatre -- History Actresses -- Biography UCTD Hofer, Alison Renee The life and work of Yvonne Bryceland : an arts-based investigation |
| title | The life and work of Yvonne Bryceland : an arts-based investigation |
| title_full | The life and work of Yvonne Bryceland : an arts-based investigation |
| title_fullStr | The life and work of Yvonne Bryceland : an arts-based investigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | The life and work of Yvonne Bryceland : an arts-based investigation |
| title_short | The life and work of Yvonne Bryceland : an arts-based investigation |
| title_sort | life and work of yvonne bryceland an arts based investigation |
| topic | Bryceland, Yvonne -- Biography Bryceland, Yvonne -- Interviews Hofer, Alison Renee -- Dancing with darkness South African theatre -- History Actresses -- Biography UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/100827 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hoferalisonrenee thelifeandworkofyvonnebrycelandanartsbasedinvestigation AT hoferalisonrenee lifeandworkofyvonnebrycelandanartsbasedinvestigation |