Support SA theatre and the recovery of stricken actor Fridjhon

The theatre community in South Africa has been rallying behind actor Robert Fridjhon after he suffered a stroke on August 1.

He was on his way home from an interview when it happened. Fridjhon had a stroke on the right side of his brain, leaving him paralysed on the left side. If you’re a regular at Pieter Toerien’s theatre spaces you’d know Fridjhon as a fighting force on stage. He kills it with physical comedy and is equally brilliant at feigning madness, delivering electric drama and dropping wry humour without a hint of overacting.

The sad news about Fridjhon’s stroke is that he’s not on medical aid and his road to recovery is a long one.

Performers in South Africa have it tough. The nature of their work often means they work on contract – and considering the volatile world of the entertainment industry work isn’t guaranteed.

So fellow actress Ashleigh Harvey (who played Fanny Brice in the Fugard Theatre’s recent adaptation) started a crowdfunding campaign to support Fridjhon’s recovery.

The funds raised will cover the following costs, which are the cornerstones of recovery: occupational therapy (R6 000 per week), occupational therapy on weekends (R540 per week), speech and language therapy (R6 540) per week, physiotherapy (R13 340 per week), physiotherapy on weekends (R880) and possibly a psychologist at R1 500 per week. So far the crowdfunding has covered a few weeks of his recovery, but more is needed.

But even the simple act of continuing to support local stage productions helps the industry to support actors and actresses with their creative work.

If you were lucky enough to see Fridjhon in The Play that Goes Wrong earlier this year, the hilarious play is returning to Pieter Toerien’s MonteCasino Theatre on September 22.

It’s a celebration of the best and worst of live theatre. When the Northriding Polytechnic Drama Society is putting on a ’20s murder mystery everything goes wrong as accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences. The return season features the original cast, as well as new cast members Daniel Janks, Richard Lothian and Stephen Jubber.

To follow Fridjhon’s progress or donate towards his recovery visit generosity.com/medical-fundraising/robert-s-recovery.