Biography - GREIG COETZEE

Since leaving teaching at the end of 1995, GREIG has been active as a playwright, director and performer.

He performed his first play, White Men with Weapons, at major theatres all over South Africa. This production also formed part of the Woza Africa: After Apartheid Festival in July 1997 at the Lincoln Center in New York. During 1998 the play was performed by invitation in Belgium, Holland, Australia and Singapore. GREIG was invited back to Belgium where he performed another of his works, The Blue Period of Milton van der Spuy, in October 1998. He has been commissioned to write five plays by European producers: a radio play for BBC Radio 4, two plays for B&R Productions in England, and two for The Internationale Nieuwe Scene, a Belgian theatre company.

In July 2000 he opened a solo show, Breasts – A Play about Men, at the Grahamstown Festival in South Africa. In August 2000 White Men with Weapons had it’s British premiere at the Edinburgh Festival earning GREIG two more awards – Best Actor on the Edinburgh Fringe and a Fringe First Award for the production. His first large-cast play, Seeing Red, premiered in May 2001 at the Playhouse in Durban before touring to other venues in South Africa.

Early 2002 GREIG toured theatres in Germany and Holland performing his solo work. He premiered a new play, Happy Natives, at the Edinburgh Festival, followed by a season in London’s Soho Theatre, and tours in England, Belgium and South Africa throughout 2003.

ORIGINAL PLAYS/PERFORMANCE PIECES
(written by GREIG COETZEEunless otherwise indicated)

• White Men with Weapons (Full version first performed 11/3/1996 at the Square Space University of Natal, Durban. Originally opened in a shorter version as "Men Only" at the Grahamstown Festival, July 1995)
• Tales from a Termite (solo piece, opened in Grahamstown, July 1995)
• Solomon's Pride (solo piece, co-written with Bheki Mkhwane. Opened at the Hexagon Theatre in Pietermaritzburg, Sept 1996)
• I spy blue sky (solo piece, monologues/songs, opened in Grahamstown, July 1997)
• Suck! (Physical Theatre two-hander, devised and performed with Aldo Brincat. Opened at Grahamstown, July 1997.)
• The Blue Period of Milton van der Spuy (Solo piece, opened in Grahamstown, July 1997)
• Sirkus Kaput (solo piece featuring Ellis Pearson. Devised with Pearson performing and Coetzee directing. Opened at the Oudtshoorn Festival, April 1998)
• Holy Moses (Two-hander, co-written with Bheki Mkhwane and Ellis Pearson. Opened in Grahamstown, July 1998.)
• Een Voorpost van de Beschawing (Co-written with Charles Cornette. Inspired by Joseph Conrad's "An Outpost of Progress". Opened in Antwerp, April 2000)
• Breasts - a play about men (solo piece, opened in Grahamstown, July 2000)
• Seeing Red (5-hander, opened at The Playhouse, Durban, 15 May 2001)
• Happy Natives (2-hander, opened at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, August 2002)
• Op Zoek Naar Nosferatu (Co-written with Charles Cornette. Inspired by Bram Stoker’s “Dracula". Antwerp Jan 2004)
• Banana Republic (Radio Drama, BBC Radio 4, 23 April 2004)

THEATRE/WRITING AWARDS:

STAGE AWARDS FOR ACTING EXCELLENCE (BRITAIN):-
Best Actor, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2000

SCOTSMAN FRINGE FIRST AWARD for innovation in theatre and outstanding new production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2000

THE ALEXANDER PETRIE AWARD for outstanding contribution to the Arts and Humanities (University of Natal, Convocation Awards 2002)

SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL AWARDS:

S.A. Playwright of the Year 1997 (White Men with Weapons)
Best Actor 1997 (White Men with Weapons)
Best Play 1997 (White Men with Weapons)
Best Production 1997 (White Men with Weapons)

PROVINCIAL VITA’S:

Best Newcomer 1996 (KZN) (White Men with Weapons)
Best New SA Script 1996 (KZN) (White Men with Weapons)
Best Actor 1997 (Cape) (White Men with Weapons)
Best New SA Script (Cape) (White Men with Weapons)
Best Play 1997 (Cape) (White Men with Weapons)
Best Production 1997(Cape) (White Men with Weapons)
Best New Script 1997 (Gauteng) (White Men with Weapons)
Best Director 1998 (KZN) (Solomon’s Pride)
Best New Script 1998 (Cape) (Blue Period of Milton v.d. Spuy)
Best New Script 1999 (OFS) (White Men with Weapons)
Best Actor 1999 (OFS) (White Men with Weapons)

FLEUR DU CAP:

Best Actor 1997 (White Men with Weapons)
Best New Script 1997 (White Men with Weapons)

Phew!