Gideon De Wet
Director, Actor, Dancer, Choreographer, Web Developer, Blacksmith and many more.
Father of 4 and married for almost 30 years.
Gideon grew up in Boksburg. Mother a social worker that became an actress, Father a Boeing pilot with SAA.
Gideon did a bit of engineering, construction and long distance truck driving before going to UCT Drama School, where funnily enough he met Sean Higgs.
After Drama School he went to UCT Ballet School to further his mime foundations and for the love of dance, he then attacked Johannesburg with ‘Thina Bantu’ at the Market Theatre. He became very involved at the Market Theatre, with shows like Score Me The Ages with Barney Simon, and Ubu Roi, Improvisation theatre and he started teaching at the Market Theatre Laboratory.
Since then he has acted in over 50 plays, 20 Films and various TV appearances. He directed about 20 plays, dances and Mime plays. Produced many shows for the Grahamstown festival, co-owned The Black Sun Theatre in Observatory and the new Black Sun in Orange Grove Jhb. The Black sun also produced many shows for Grahamstown over the years.
Helped with Theatre voltaire, open stage every Sunday night, was eventually a Black Sun weekly feature
His claim to fame is arresting Woopie Goldberg in Sarafina, as cop2 or cop3 🙂
He was also the Ships Captain hunting Megladon for The Discovery Channel.
He has been involved with Aids Awareness Campaigns from the late 1980’s, in ‘Puppets Against Aids’ he was the original Joe, the giant puppet that suffered from AIDS.
Then he workshoped and directed ‘War on Aids’ for The New Africa Theatre School in Cape Town. A show aimed at schools, it was well received at both high and primary schools.
Gideon registered War on Aids as a NPO and started fundraising.
War On Aids went on to perform at over 300 more schools with a company of 6 actors from previously disadvantaged backgrounds..
War on Aids was invited to do a performance in President Mandela’s office at Tuinhuis for all Madiba’s staff. It was a proud day. Also what we earned from the presidents office funded 5 more shows at schools.
Notes on acting: I follow the Roger Moore philosophy on acting: Learn your lines and try not to bump into the furniture.
All right here is my CV of what i recall doing, some people insist I include it, not mentioning names
GIDEON DE WET
Hair: Blonde Eyes: Blue Height: 1.75m DOB: 4 July 1963
Training: UCT Performers Diploma in Speech and Drama 1983-86
Ballet – UCT Ballet School
Mime – Sammy Molco (Austria)
Clowning: Roy Bossier (Austria/Italy)
Singing: Sarie Lamprecht
Dance: Jazzart, Pace Dance, Robyn Orlin, Kim Thackewray, Marlene Blom and others
Skills: Mime, Fight Choreography, Horse Riding, Fencing, Dance, Directing, Writing,
Languages: English, Afrikaans
THEATRE:
SCORE ME THE AGES – Barney Simon, Market Theatre
M- BUTTERFLY – Robert Whitehead, Alhambra/Theatre on the Bay
TINA BANTU – Mavis Taylor, Baxter/ Market Theatre / National Tour
SUNRISE CITY – Chris Pretorius, Market Theatre
DIS SEKER DIE HONDE – Tertius Meintjies, Black Sun / Grahamstown
THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR – Russell Copley, Labia Theatre/ Grahamstown
SA METAL – Ashraf Jamal, Grahamstown
THEATRE FOR AFRICA with Nicholas Ellembogen (3 years 3 plays)
1) KWA-MANZI – National and Schools
2) HORN OF SORROW – National and USA Tour
3) ELEPHANT OF AFRICA – Wits and national
IN-MATES (A Play in mime) – Gideon De Wet / Black Sun / Dalro/ Grahamstown
HELL HOUND (RICHARD III) – Niel McCarthy, James Whyle / Market Theatre
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS – Dale Lee Grahamstown
DINNER AT THE MONKEY HOUSE – Warrick Grier Grahamstown
CHILDREN OF CHILDREN – Bertha Egnoss Recording JHB
Improv Theatre Sprouting from The Market Laboratory with Shalom Koenan bringing the idea and creating 3 different experiences,
1. IMPROVISATION THEATRE -Market Theatre / The Black Sun Theatre / SABC
2. PANIC STATIONS – Market Theatre – A full length improvised play on audience suggestions
3. NO AGENDA – Market Theatre – free form improv on audience suggestions
KASTEELSPELERS:
1. DIE KONINGIN EN DIE NAR – Directed Grahamstown and national tour.
2. DOUGEDAGTES – Wrote and Directed – ATKV Pretoria and Grahamstown Festival
3. KING LEAR – “EDMUND & KENT” Grahamstown
CARNIVAL OF THE BEAR Mark – Fleischman Market Theatre
DR ZHIVAGO (Ballet) – Nico Malan
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW – Christopher Malcolm Baxter and National Tour – Understudied Riff-Raff
AS I LAY DYING – Gavin Clarke Grahamstown
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS – Dale Lee Grahamstown
UBU ROI – Neil Mc Carthy Market Theatre
CUT UPS – Charles Fourie Rockspider Theatre
EQUAL WRONGS – Peter Hayes Grahamstown / Artscape
HOUDINI – Dock Yard Theatre
SEVERANCE – Ashraf Jamal Artscape
Also: REACTION GROUP / THE DYBUK / THE VISIT / CLEAR THE SPACE / MAKE LIKE SLAVES
DIE VAN AARDES VAN GROOTOOR / HAMLET / MISS JULIA / INSTANT THEATRE
DANCE:
HAVE YOU SEEN THE COUNTRYSIDE AROUND JOHANNESBURG LATEL Part II – Robyn Orlin Market Theatre / Baxter
BETWEEN THE LIVES – Chantal Natival – Black Sun
DANCE UMBRELLA 91/92 With Kim Thackewray Wits Theatre
HINDSIGHT Gideon De Wet Grahamstown
FISCAL CONNECTIONS Kim Thackewray Black Sun
St. STYLITE Marlene Blom Market Theatre
COMFORTABLE CONCENTRATIO CAMP – Mark Fleishman, Grahamstown
THE KITCHEN Dance Umbrella 94 Artscape
FILM
SARAFINA – Darryl Roodt
THE FOURTH REICH – Manie Van Rensburg
THE LOST WORLD 1 and 2 (Canada and Zimbabwe)
FOREVER AND AFTER (THE WEDDING) – Koos Roets
THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER – Matthew Crause / Jeremy Nathan
UNTAG – Leon Schuster
BORN TO BE BAD – Stander Showreel
BRAVE NEW WORLD – with Charles Commyn
THE WHITE LIONESS – Pelle Berglund
MANDELA AND DE KLERK – Joseph Sargent
TWIST – Tim Greene
THE CORNER CAFÉ – Tim Greene
The STANDER Gang – Character Heyl
TELEVISION:
THOMAS@ – TV SERIES
MEGALODON Dicovery (Docu-Drama)
THE GAME
BUTTERFLY DREAMS
MMG ENGINEERS
WINNING
UNDER AFRICAN SKIES
ORKNEY SNORKNEY
KONINGS
SWARTKAT I & II
WENNERS
ONDERSTE BODEM
SUPER SNUITERS
TAKE A BREAK
LANG TREK NA NERENS
JUST NUISANCE
PATERNOSTER
BAY OF BOMBAY (Jennifer Ferguson music video, the waltz )
ENVIRO-MENTAL MIME
36 Part green tips SASOL/M-NET
DIRECTING:
THE VINEYARD
DIE KONINGIN EN DIE NAR
HINDSIGHT
ANY PLACE I LAY MY HAT IS HOME
PUPPETS AGAINST AIDS
WAR ON AIDS
SPOORNET BUSHMEN COMMERCIAL (Choreography)
MUD IN YOUR EYE MACK (Choreography)
OTHER
IBM LAUNCH Charlie Chaplin (mime)
NEW VOTER REGISTRATION (94) Set design and dressing, locations
PUPPETS AGAINST AIDS – Acted and directed
THEATER FOR THE DEAF – Involved in organizing. Fundraising and Teaching
WAR ON AIDS Writing, Directing, Charity Founder, and Director, Western Cape Schools
Teaching
Market Theatre Laboratory,
New Africa Theatre,
Theatre for the Deaf,
Various workshops at schools
Commercials:
MNET – DECODER with Sean Higgs as two Russian smugglers
VAUXHALL CORSA Midnight Thief
NEDERBURG Shadow Conductor
Voice Work:
Various voice overs – accents: English (various), South African (most accents), German, Dutch, Afrikaans, French, Russian, Italian etc.
Other interests
My wife Mary-Ann, Sam and Dean my dogs, my 4 kids
Websites, Computers, Stupid Games, Sudoku, Black Smithing and steel work, Woodwork, Making things