There’s distressing news in the Daily Mail today that one of the actors due to appear next week in the Baxter Theatre’s South African production Hamlet, coming to Stratford-upon-Avon as part of the RSC’s Complete Works festival, has been found shot dead, “with an execution-style bullet wound to the back of his head”, following a carjacking – a crime that is legion in South Africa. Brett Goldin was playing Guildenstern in Janet Suzman’s production that’s features an Indian Hamlet, a white Gertrude and a black Claudius (veteran South African actor John Kani). The company are continuing with the production as a tribute to him, according to a feature in The Daily Telegraph.
While that brings a real tragedy close to home for this production, it will also resonate – according to the Telegraph feature – with a political situation on the production’s doorstep. Quoting both the director and Kani as being struck by parallels between Claudius, the play’s usurping tyrant, and Africa’s surviving tyrant rulers, Suzman says, “Tyranny is also at home in Africa. There’s a tyrant just north of us in Zimbabwe.” And Kani adds, “There on our northern border is a man, once a good man, who wants to hold on to power even when it destroys both himself and his country.”
nicely spotted Mark - three days prior to Goldin being shot execution style which is now being labelled a robbery/hijacking gone wrong - Ken Kirsten a veteran South African director who pioneered big Television shows/spectaculars in the early days of broadcasting which only came in the 80s was murdered while walking near his home - finally SA's Department of Culture has made a statement about crime - mind you with an Ex-Deputy President on trial for alleged rape, barely a year after being on trial for corruption - something IS ROTTEN in the state of the new RSA - Goldin was a very talented actor - i directed him once in a short film while he was still at high school and he was a one-take man with very enigmatic presence
Last year, I did not believe in the death penalty, but now, after the senseless and brutal murder of my friend's brother Brett Goldin, I believe that reinstating the death penalty in South Africa is the only way that we can send a clear message to criminals that if they take the life of another, they have lost their right to life. The government needs to act now.
I'm so distressed by this and have been in shellshock since I got the phone call about Brett's death. He was so vital and warm that it is impossible to believe he can be gone. We've lost a wonderful person and a very talented actor.
I just returned from the funeral of acclaimed slain actor Brett Goldin. The South African Entertainment industry is in mourning for him and all of us hope that the SA government will act up and make a stand on the terrible situation that we are in. My best wishes go out to his family and all his collegues. May the Shakespeare festival in the UK be a major success. Especially the production of Hamlet as Tribute to a wonderful fellow Thespian.
as a very close friend of brett's there are no words that can describe the appalling loss of such a beautiful and gifted person. as a friend, my life will forever be a few shades darker because he is not with me. as a colligue (i am the assistant director on hamlet in which brett was performing)there will forever be an empty place waiting for him to fill. brett i miss you so much as so many others do. all we can do now is band together and try and work towards a peaceful and stable rsa. go bless brett, i love you so much. x