Thesis (MDram (Drama))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Various theoretists and artists have tried to describe, to define and categorise the form of art that we roughly refer to as ‘cabaret’ in an attempt to answer the question: “What exactly is ‘cabaret’”? Many are of the opinion that cabaret cannot be defined; others feel that to define cabaret, is to limit this free-form genre, and by doing so will turn it into something it is not. This debate unavoidably leads to confusion or a misconception of what cabaret is and leads to the genre being moulded into a fixed form contrary to its nature. Since its conception in France in the late nineteenth century, cabaret has acquired many faces, and today in South Africa, many kilometres from its cradle, it is still in a process of development. For the purpose of this study I want to make use of the two basic terms used to refer to cabaret: ‘cabaret’ and ‘kabarett’. These terms refer respectively to cabaret as a form of literary entertainment or one of socio-political commentary. These categories were introduced by Kurt Tucholsky in its formatory years in Germany. By applying these terms, I want to establish whether cabaret in South Africa is alive and well, which form it has adopted, and whether one can speak of ‘pure’ cabaret. In Chapter 2 I will explore the roots of cabaret as a form of art, offer reasons for its rise and trace its development in countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA and England. With this as background, I will in Chapter 3 attempt to indicate some guidelines for the genre without restricting it in any way, in order to explore the origin and development of what can be labelled as cabaret in South Africa in Chapter 4 and trace its development as well as evaluate current productions. Finally, I will attempt to answer the question as to whether cabaret in South Africa can be viewed as ‘cabaret’ or ‘kabarett’. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verskeie teoretici en kunstenaars het al gepoog om die genre, kabaret, te omskryf, te definieer en in verskeie kategorieë te plaas in ’n poging om die vraag: “Wat is kabaret?” te beantwoord. Baie is van mening dat kabaret nie gedefinieer kan word nie, ander sien kabaret weer as ’n vry-veranderende genre en voel dus dat ’n definisie dit sal inperk en dwing om iets te wees wat dit nie is nie. Uiteraard veroorsaak hierdie sienswyses baie verwarring en word kabaret dan tog soms verkeerdelik omskryf en in boksies waar dit nie hoort nie, geplaas. Kabaret is ’n kunsvorm wat sedert sy vormingsjare aan die einde van die negentiende eeu in Frankryk al vele vorme aangeneem het en vandag, hier te lande, baie kilometers van sy beginpunt af, steeds aan die ontwikkel is. Ek wil dus in hierdie studie gebruik maak van die twee eenvoudigste terme waarmee daar na kabaret verwys word: ‘cabaret’ en ‘kabarett’. Hierdie terme verwys onderskeidelik na kabaret enersyds as ‘n literêre vorm van vermaak of, andersyds, as ‘n medium vir die lewering van sosio-politiese kommentaar. Hierdie kategorieë is deur Kurt Tucholsky gebruik om die verskillende vorms van kabaret te omskryf reeds in die vroeë vormingsjare daarvan as kunsvorm in Duitsland. Só wil ek poog om vas te stel of kabaret wel in Suid-Afrika ‘lewend’ is, watter vorm dit aanneem en hoe suiwer dit is. In Hoofstuk 2 ondersoek ek die wortels van kabaret en probeer ek vasstel hoe die kunsvorm sedert sy ontstaan ontwikkel het in Frankryk, Duitsland, Nederland, Amerika en Engeland. Met die kennis van waar kabaret vandaan kom, hoekom dit ontstaan het en wat die vorme is wat dit al aangeneem het as agtergrond, poog ek dan in Hoofstuk 3 om min of meer riglyne aan die genre te gee, sonder om dit in te perk, ten einde my bespreking in Hoofstuk 4 te kan voltooi waarin ek kyk na die geskiedenis van kabaret in Suid-Afrika, asook die ontwikkeling daarvan tot en met die aanbieding van produksies waarna ons vandag as ‘kabaret’ verwys. Ten slotte wil ek bepaal of dit wat ons in Suid-Afrika ‘kabaret’ noem, in der waarheid kabarett of cabaret is.

Thesis (MDram)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the contemporary Afrikaans cabaret and the theatrical forms related to it. As background to the study and to determine the original nature of cabaret, I have examined the European origin of the Afrikaans cabaret. Afrikaans cabaret is discussed further by looking at the nature of the original Afrikaans cabaret in the 1980’s. As a constantly evolving art form, the Afrikaans cabaret has undergone multiple changes since its beginning in the 1980’s and because of this the nature of the contemporary Afrikaans cabaret is discussed through the use of the comedy sub-genres: stand-up comedy, one man comedy and sketch comedy. These comedy sub-genres add to the entertainment value of the cabaret and are discussed through the comic elements that can be used in contemporary Afrikaans cabaret. The function of Afrikaans cabaret as social commentator is also examined by placing it against contemporary Afrikaans rock music. The rock movements referred to in this study, which are largely related to socio-political commentary, are the 1980’s Voëlvry-tour as well as the contemporary Afrikaans rock group Fokofpolisiekar. As conclusion the study finds that cabaret is allusive in nature, but that social criticism is the core element. It seems, however, that the contemporary Afrikaans cabaret is more focussed on entertainment without social commentary and that this contemporary function is influenced by numerous factors. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die kontemporêre Afrikaanse kabaret en sy aanverwante vorme. As agtergrond tot die studie en om die oorspronklike aard van kabaret te bepaal, word daar na die Europese oorsprong van die Afrikaanse kabaret gekyk. Die Afrikaanse kabaret word verder ondersoek deur na die aard van die oorspronklike Afrikaanse kabaret in die 1980’s te kyk. As kunsvorm wat voortdurend vervorm, het die Afrikaanse kabaret sedert die aanvang in die 1980’s baie veranderinge ondergaan en as gevolg hiervan word die kontemporêre Afrikaanse kabaret se aard deur middel van die komedie sub-genres: skerpskerts, eenmankomedie en sketskomedie ondersoek. Hierdie komedievorme dra by tot kabaret se vermaaklikheidswaarde en word bespreek aan die hand van die komiese elemente wat in die kontemporêre Afrikaanse kabaret gebruik kan word. Die Afrikaanse kabaret se funksie as sosiale kommentaar word ook ondersoek en teenoor kontemporêre Afrikaanse rock-musiek gestel. Die rock-bewegings waarna daar grotendeels in hierdie studie verwys word, is op sosio-politieke kommentaar gerig en ondervang daarom die Voëlvry-toer van die 1980’s, sowel as die kontemporêre rock-musiekgroep Fokofpolisiekar. Die studie bevind ten slotte dat kabaret ontwykend van aard is, maar dat sosiale kritiek ‘n kernelement is. Dit blyk egter dat die kontemporêre Afrikaanse kabaret meer gefokus is op vermaaklikheid sonder sosiale kommentaar en dat hierdie kontemporêre funksie aan verskeie faktore toegeskryf kan word.

The thesis titled Putting Chopin and the Rez Together: Multicultural Features in Tomson Highway's Work focuses on the work of renowned Native Canadian playwright, novelist, and musician Tomson Highway. The paper analyses those features of his writing and music that express the idea of multiculturalism and hybridity. It discusses the nature of the characters in his work and the image of the central character of Native mythology, the trickster. The analysis of dramatic techniques and music shows the way Highway combines his Euro-Canadian education and Native sensibility. Highway supports and promotes the notion of multiculturalism by his work. It has helped him to find personal as well as creative independence.

"The transformation of television variety show in Czech lands" tackles the historical development of variety shows and offers an insight into the television entertainment as such in the historical context. For the sake of a more complex approach, the paper also deals with the radio variety shows and touring variety shows as a form of public entertainment. Furthermore, the thesis discusses the history of Czech cabarets, which are also an important source for the TV shows and two period programmes, Televarieté "Television variety show" and Možná přijde i kouzelník "Perhaps a Magician Will Come Too" shall be analyzed. The thesis aims to capture the spectrum of variety shows featured in the Czech television and also outline the form their production has transformed into.

Title of the thesis: The chanson as a complex speech act and its translatability Keywords: chanson, translation, song lyrics, chansonnier, interpretation, acting, nonverbal communication, Aznavour, Bécaud, Piaf, Hegerová, Gott, Čeřovská, cabaret Abstract: The aim of the thesis is to describe the possibilities and the limits of translatability of chanson with regard to song lyrics and dramatic performance. The main contribution consists in determination of a relation between borrowed chansons and their French originals. The realization of the thesis is based on a research on the field of literary translation and acting on the one hand and on the analysis of song lyrics and dramatic performances on the other hand. The analyses in both cases concern three selected French chansons and Czech versions corresponding to them. The first part of the thesis defines the chanson and explains its historical development in the Czech territory. The theory of literary translation and lyrics translation is presented and applied to the translation of chanson in the second part. The third part deals with possibilities of a dramatic interpretation of chanson on the basis of the theory of acting. The last part brings a double analysis which concerns song lyrics and dramatic interpretation of chosen pairs of chanson.

The master's thesis entitled Prague cabarets after 1900 explores the so called golden age of cabarets in Prague between 1916-1923. The core of the thesis consists of a historiographic overview of cabarets and small form theaters in comparison with the contemporary theater scene. Keywords Cabaret, golden age of cabaret, 20. century, contemporary theatre, Červená sedma.