Long-term Durban audiences will remember Greg Melvill-Smith
who passed away on May 31, after a lengthy battle with cancer.
After completing a National Diploma in Drama at Pretoria
Technikon, he came to Durban to join the Loft Theatre Company at NAPAC in 1985 where
he spent three years.
An actor, director, writer and voice artist he went on to appear
in major roles in television series such as Die
Vierde Kabinet, 7de Laan, One Way and Isidingo.
He also appeared in Black Sails. His feature-film credits include The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mr. Bones, Drum,
The Bang Bang Club and Night Drive.
The following tribute comes from the South African Guild of
Actors:
“The South African
Guild of Actors mourns the untimely loss of one of our own: Greg Melvill-Smith,
a SAGA stalwart and true gentleman of the profession, left us in the late hours
of 31 May 2016, succumbing to an illness borne with great dignity. At this
difficult time our thoughts go out to Greg’s family as they face the loss of a
loving husband and father.
Greg Melvill-Smith
exhibited a unique entrepreneurial flair that saw him transplanting his
interactive communication skills into the classroom and corporate boardroom
alike. Indeed, SAGA was the fortunate beneficiary earlier this year of Greg’s
facilitation expertise that resulted in the Guild’s five-year strategic plan,
some of which is already yielding welcome fruit.”
Moving to
Johannesburg in 1988, Greg went on to act in no fewer than 52 professional
theatre productions and more than 10 major television series. He directed 14
plays, including three operas, conceived a number of industrial theatre
projects and conducted environmental theatre workshops with teachers, students
and theatre professionals. For the Palaeontological Scientific Trust, he
initiated, wrote and directed Walking
Tall, an ongoing educational intervention and outreach project that has
reached more than 1.2 million people, primarily learners and educators in South
Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Belgium and Sweden.
“For more than a
decade,” SAGA continues, “Greg facilitated business coaching and training in
the areas of emotional intelligence, mindset, team leadership, diversity and
presentation skills. His clients include Nedbank, Schering Plough, Roche,
Clicks, I-Net Bridge, the South African National Blood Services and SAA.
Greg’s legacy will
continue to live on in our Guild, and our every success will reflect the memory
of a man who gave more to the performance industry than he ever took for
himself.”
Close friend and colleague, actress Annie Robinson Grealy
writes: “Dear Greg ... indeed, a
gentle giant and special human being.
It was my privilege
to have worked with and to have got to know Greg in those halcyon Loft days.
NAPAC formed a permanent theatre company headed by Nicolas Ellenbogen in 1985 -
The Loft Theatre Company - and I can honestly say these were some of the best
years of my life. Greg and our fellow ‘Lofties’ lived a life close to English
repertory theatre – working our butts off in our morning warm-ups, sometimes on
the beach to build physical and mental strength. (I have never been so fit in
my life.) We wrote and workshopped plays, rehearsed noteworthy scripts and
performed at night, and afterwards gathered in the theatre bar, just to start
all over again a few hours later. Greg was a part of this life. We were like a
family, working and playing hard together, travelling to perform at schools,
Grahamstown and Hilton festivals, into the bush to perform or do research on a
new play ... anywhere, it was an exciting time for us all, creating new and
exciting work together as a well-oiled team.
Greg however was
always the sensible one, the calm dependable gentle giant, always ready with a big
bear hug, an ear to listen and ready with sensible calm words of advice. Greg
had a wonderful laugh that could be a childlike giggle that grew into a guffaw.
Greg was a most
loyal and loving husband to Kenda, whom he married while we were in the Loft. Greg
too was a talented actor, a voice-over artist who honed his craft and cleverly
made a success for himself in the corporate world too. Greg joins three fellow
Lofties now – Jabulani, Chris Wells and Roger Dwyer and with that combination
of talent and wit I can only imagine what works of enormous creative import
await us when we too take our final bow and join them in that theatre in the
sky."
Greg Melvill-Smith's memorial service will be held at St
Peter's Prep School Chapel, Wittkoppen Road in Johannesburg tomorrow (June 4)
at 14h00. It was his request that
donations in lieu of flowers be made to the Theatre Benevolent Fund: http://tbf-sa.co.za/
or facebook “Theatre Benevolent Fund”.
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