Charles J. Fourie

“The play examines the painful twins of vengeance and sacrifice, and explores how a young man can be driven to kill in order to avenge his sister’s rape. It attempts to explain the reasons for the tension between some communities of white South Africans and the deep-rooted fear they have that black people are out to kill them. " (Nelisa Ngqulana – Whatson – review of Sacrifice)

“Ella’s Horses is a strange chronicle of the determinedly solitary Scottish émigré, Ella Gordon, and her confidant, Reverend Schaberg. Famed theatre and television actress Deirdre Wolhuter spins a stirring take on Ella’s cantankerous and headstrong philosophical beliefs. Leonard Moss’ Reverend Schaberg vies for the spotlight, and at times emerges as the victor with his absolute ‘voice of reason’ proverbs." (Benn van der Westhuizen – Whatson – review of Ella's Horses)

In 2016 he translated Matthew Hurt's The Man Jesus in Afrikaans and the production is currently touring.

Fourie was the first writer to bring Jenkins' story to the stage professionally and in 2015 a film based on her life will be released featuring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant with director Stephen Frears.

Since 2015 he has also been working as a reality television content producer and has to date developed six new reality TV shows for broadcast in South Africa on a new lifestyle channel for Media24.

In 2014 he wrote the one-man play Happy which premiered at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival where after it toured to Cape Town and Pretoria. The play is currently being adapted into a film script for production in 2017.

2014 also saw the re-staging of Ella's Horses at the Grahamstown National Arts festival where it received a Standarbank Ovation award, with subsequent performances in Cape Town during 2015, and a new tour is planned in 2017.

In 2014 he wrote a one-man play based on the life and times of Happy Sindane titled Happy. The production premiered at the Grahamstown arts festival in 2014. He also staged his play Ella's Horses at the Grahamstown arts festival where it received a Standard Bank Ovation award. Both plays were subsequently staged on tour at The Masque theatre, The Galloway theatre and the Playhouse theatre during 2015.

For Maroela Radio and several other local radio stations he wrote a radio play to commemorate the death of Boer General De La Rey in 2014. This was followed by another radio drama series of 90 episodes titled Boggomsbaai also for Maroela Radio and several other South African radio stations which broadcast the serial during 2014 and 2015.

As film director he completed filming his first film as director based on his award-winning play Agterplaas. The film was premiered at the 2014 KykNET Silwerskerm Festival in Cape Town and was broadcast on KykNET in 2015.

“Comparisons with Athol Fugard – the granddaddy of South African theater – are inevitable, and indeed that towering presence lurks behind this drama in which black meets white at close quarters during the final years of apartheid." (Mark Cook – This Is London – review of Big Boys)

“Unlike his compatriot, Athol Fugard, he has the knack of simplification, a major talent in this country these days." – (Paul Nelson – Time Out – review of 'Big Boys')

“Florence Jenkins must rate pretty high on the all-time best list and writer Charles J. Fourie has done grandly in devising a show which leaves little unturned in his depiction of the life and times of the American opera diva Florence Foster Jenkins, a character if ever there was one." (Wilhelm Snyman – Cape Times – review of Goddess of Song)

His play Sacrifice was staged in 2013 in both Afrikaans and English to critical acclaim.

“South Africa has never dealt adequately with its obsession with race. To that end the second production, which details the story of Happy Sindane, is as fascinating as it is tragic." (Benn van der Westhuizen – Artslink – review of Happy)

In 2013 his follow-up 40 episode radio drama series Purgatorio was broadcast again on RSG radio station. In 2014 he completed the trilogy by writing the 50 episode radio drama series Paradiso which was also broadcast in 2014 on RSG radio station.

His most recent play, Agterplaas, a searing depiction of a new generation of poverty stricken white South Africans opened in 2011 at the Karoo national Arts festival and has since been on tour and will continue with productions scheduled for 2012.

Recent script-writing credits include Binnelanders (M-Net) and Deeltitel Dames for Penguin Films to be broadcast on KykNET in 2010. He also wrote a 40 episode radio drama series titled Inferno for RSG which was broadcast in 2010, and wrote a 60 episode series titled Seisoene which was broadcast in 2012.

During 2007 he translated and staged the British comedy Noises Off by Michael Frayn as Lawwe Geluide with a stellar cast. The production had a sell out tour of South Africa. His play Ella's Horses (Ella se Perde) opened at the Aardklop festival in 2007, and was nominated for a Best Actress award.

Two of his other plays, Stander and Vrededorp, were adapted as television feature films and broadcast on M-Net during 2006/07. More recently his play The Parrot Woman was staged at the Finborough Theatre in London and the Burton Taylor Studio Theater in Oxford.

During 2006 he also acted as editor for the British publication New South African Plays published in the UK by Aurora Metro Publishers.

Several of his shorter radio plays have also been broadcast on RSG; these include Praatmaar which was broadcast in 2005, Beseringstyd (2008), and Offer (2013). In 2015 he received the RSG Radio Drama Prize for his radio play Vergifnis. His 60 episode radio drama series Tamboeryn was also broadcast on RSG radio station during 2016.

He has also worked widely in television since 1995 as a screenwriter, director and producer.

In 1994, he established the independent theatre company Cape Theatre Ensemble based in Cape Town, as an adhoc theatre production company. To date Cape Theatre Ensemble has staged over a hundred productions including collaborations with other production companies.

Big Boys was staged by the LA Ensemble in Los Angeles in 1993 and at the Warehouse Theatre (London) in 2002, and was a Time Out critics' choice. The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife was presented at the John Caird 'New Director's initiative at the Gatehouse theatre and at the Old Vic's 'New Voices' season (London) and has since been adapted for television.

Charles J. Fourie (born 1965, Potchefstroom) is a South African writer, director working in television, film and theater. Fourie staged his first play as a drama student at the Windybrow Theatre in 1985, and went on to receive the Henk Wybenga bursary as most promising student in the same year.