SANDRA PRINSLOO, one of South Africa’s most esteemed actresses, is Brian Berkman’s guest at Pringle Prom’s January 17 lunch event at 12 noon in Pringle Bay. She is celebrated for her exceptional contribution to stage, film and television across a career spanning decades and well over 100 theatre productions.
Berkman will conduct a wide-ranging Compelling Conversation in Afrikaans covering her youth which included rigorous ballet training that laid the foundation for peak physical discipline that continues to characterise her stage craft. Prinsloo is an actor of uncommon depth and discipline, able to move seamlessly between classical repertoire and new South African writing.
One of the defining events of Prinsloo’s career – and South African theatre history – was her leading role in Strindberg’s Miss Julie opposite John Kani during the apartheid era. The provocative production featured the first kiss on a South African stage between a white woman and a black man.
International audiences got to know her best as Kate Thompson from the 1980 global hit film The Gods Must Be Crazy. Her ongoing television work has been equally significant.
In recent years, Prinsloo has continued to perform in acclaimed productions, including intimate one-person shows that demonstrate her enduring mastery of text and performance. She remains an influential mentor to younger actors and a revered figure in the cultural landscape of South Africa.
In recognition of her artistic legacy and moral courage, Prinsloo has received multiple lifetime achievement awards, including the Naledi Theatre Lifetime Achievement Award, Fleur du Cap honours, and one of South Africa’s highest civilian honours, the Order of Ikhamanga, awarded for excellence in the performing arts and for using her platform to oppose racism.
In addition to talking about her life and work, Prinsloo will perform a selection of favourite Afrikaans poems. This Pringle Proms event honours the centenary of writer CJ Langenhoven’s bill of May 1925 that led to Afrikaans being recognised as an official language alongside English in South Africa. The University of Stellenbosch bestowed an Honorary Doctorate for her contributions.
Berkman will prepare a buffet lunch to be enjoyed before the interview. Guests are welcome to bring their own wine and special beverages. There are only 16 tickets for this intimate at-home experience at R650 per person via Quicket. This is an Afrikaans-language event.
