Paul Herzberg (born 1953) is a South African actor and writer, known for ''

The Honourable Woman ''The Honourable Woman'' is a 2014 British political spy thriller television miniseries in eight parts, directed and written by Hugo Blick for the BBC and SundanceTV. Featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal in the title role, it aired on BBC Two in the ...

'' (2014), ''

Black Earth Rising ''Black Earth Rising'' is a 2018 British psychological thriller television miniseries written and directed by Hugo Blick, about the prosecution of international war criminals. The series is a co-production between BBC Two and Netflix. The show a ...

'' (2019), ''

My Week with Marilyn ''My Week with Marilyn'' is a 2011 biographical drama film directed by Simon Curtis and written by Adrian Hodges. It stars Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Dominic Cooper, Julia Ormond, Emma Watson, and Judi Dench. Based ...

'' (2011), '' Room 36'' (2005), ''

Blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood is com ...

'' and ''

Cry Freedom ''Cry Freedom'' is a 1987 epic biographical drama film directed and produced by Richard Attenborough, set in late-1970s apartheid-era South Africa. The screenplay was written by John Briley based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods. ...

'' (1987).

Early life

Born in

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

, Herzberg studied acting at the University of Cape Town drama school and scriptwriting at the College for Advanced Technical Education in Pretoria. He moved to the UK in 1976, after having served as a conscripted soldier on the Namibian border, during the period of the Angolan war. He then studied at the

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. In ...

Career

As an actor, his film and television appearances include ''

Smiley's People ''Smiley's People'' is a 1979 spy novel by John le Carré. The novel features a British master-spy George Smiley. It is the third and final novel of the " Karla Trilogy", following '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' and '' The Honourable Schoolbo ...

'', ''

Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'', or simply ''Poirot'' (), is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2020. The ITV show is based on many of Agatha Christie's famous crime fiction series, wh ...

Dumb Witness ''Dumb Witness'' is a detective fiction novel by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 5 July 1937 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year under the title of ''Poirot Lo ...

'' and ''

The Life and Loves of a She-Devil ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

''. He co-wrote and starred in the feature film, ''Almost Heaven'' which won the Nashville International Best Feature Award. On stage, he played Stanley Kowalski in ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pe ...

'' at the

Mermaid Theatre The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre encompassing the site of Puddle Dock and Curriers' Alley at Blackfriars in the City of London, and the first built in the City since the time of Shakespeare. It was, importantly, also one of the first new th ...

. He is a regular at Manchester's Royal Exchange where his roles have included Bluntschli in ''Arms And The Man'', Shorty in ''People Are Living There'', Colbert in ''While The Sun Shines'', Captain Papa Louw in his award-winning play '' The Dead Wait'' and recently as Capulet in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

''. He has appeared twice at the Chichester Festival theatre, first as Gratiano in ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' (with Sir

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...

as Shylock); and then in ''Carrington'', as Mark Gertler. He was in the world premiere of ''

Dancing At Lughnasa ''Dancing at Lughnasa'' is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in County Donegal, Ireland in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator. He re ...

'' in the role of Gerry Evans at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin (1990). In 2003, he played

John Vorster Balthazar Johannes "B. J." Vorster (; 13 December 1915 – 10 September 1983), better known as John Vorster, was a South African politician who served as the prime minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978 and the fourth state president of So ...

in Sir

Antony Sher Sir Antony Sher (14 June 1949 – 2 December 2021) was a British actor, writer and theatre director of South African origin. A two-time Laurence Olivier Award winner and a five-time nominee, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982 and ...

's play ''I.D.'' at the

Almeida theatre The Almeida Theatre is a 325-seat producing house located on Almeida Street off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre opened in 1980, and produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West E ...

. He was cast as Shylock in ''

The Merchant Of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' at the Arcola in 2007. He joined the

RSC RSC may refer to: Arts * Royal Shakespeare Company, a British theatre company * Reduced Shakespeare Company, a touring American acting troupe * Richmondshire Subscription Concerts, a music society in Richmond, North Yorkshire, England * Rock Ste ...

at Stratford for ''

The Taming Of The Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

'' in which he played Vincentio (2012). The following year he play Loonie Schutzmacher in Shaw's '' The Doctor's Dilemma'' at the National Theatre. He returned to the National in the roles of Yair Hirshfeld and ''

Shimon Peres Shimon Peres ( ; ; born Szymon Perski, ; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician and statesman who served as the prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the president of Israel from 2007 t ...

'' in ''

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

'' which transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre. Herzberg first began writing for

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

in 1992 with the 60 minute play ''The Song Of My Father''; followed by several plays and short stories. His short radio play ''Where's The Bull?'', won the London Radio playwright's festival in 1992 and was broadcast on

LBC Radio LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadcas ...

. His stage play ''The Dead Wait'' is based on the story of a young South African athlete who is a

conscripted Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

soldier in the

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War () was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. It was a power struggle between two for ...

and was shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award in 1997. The story also reflects Herzberg's own experiences as a conscripted soldier before leaving South Africa. ''The Dead Wait'' was broadcast on BBC Radio and received its theatrical world premiere' at the

Barney Simon Barney Simon (13 April 1932 – 30 June 1995) was a South African writer, playwright and director. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and spent most of his life there. The city of Johannesburg and its denizens, shaped by diverse racial a ...

Theatre at the Market, in 1997. In 2002 it received its British premiere' at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, with Herzberg in the role of Captain Papa Louw, where it was nominated for three Manchester Evenings News Awards (best new play, production and actor) winning in the last category. The play was published by Oberon books. In 2013, it was produced by ''

The Park Theatre The Park Theatre opened in Finsbury Park, north LondonCecilia Sundstrom"Psychopaths, nudity and Maureen Lipman launch new Finsbury Park theatre" ''Hackney Gazette'', 27 March 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-01. in 2013. It describes itself as "a neighb ...

''.

Personal life

Herzberg has been married to

Oona Kirsch Oona is a feminine given name. It is an anglicisation of the Irish-language name ''Úna''. Apart from in Ireland, it is also a popular name in Finland. People with the name Oona * Oona Brown (born 2004), American ice dancer * Oona Chaplin (born ...

since 1988. They have two children. His godson is

Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King, which aired on Freeform (TV channel), Freeform from June 8, 2010 to June 27, 2017, based on the novel series Pretty Little L ...

actor

Julian Morris Julian David Morris (born 13 January 1983) is an English actor. After appearing in the British television series '' The Knock'' (1996) and ''Fish'' (2000) during his teenage years, he had his first starring role in the American slasher film '' C ...

Selected film and television roles

*''

'', (2019) - as Zava Zand *''

'', (2014) - as Daniel Borgoraz *'' Papadopolous & Sons'', (2012) - as Nikolas *''Almost Heaven'', (2005) - as Blagden *'' The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission'', (1985) - as Private Reynolds *'' Murder City'', "Just Seventeen" (2006) - as Max Edwards *''

Heartbeat Heartbeat, heart beat or heartbeats may refer to: Science and technology * Heartbeat (biology), one cardiac cycle of the heart * Heartbeat (computing), a periodic signal to indicate normal operation or to synchronize parts of a system ** Heartbea ...

, Music of the Spheres'' (2003) - as Marek Starosta *''

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries ''The Inspector Lynley Mysteries'' is a British crime drama television series that aired on BBC One from 12 March 2001 to 1 June 2008, consisting of six series and 24 episodes. The protagonist, Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley, 8th Earl ...

'', "Well Schooled in Murder" (2002) - as Barry Summers *''

The Famous Five ''The Famous Five'' is a series of children's Adventure fiction, adventure novels and short stories written by English author Enid Blyton. The first book, ''Five on a Treasure Island'', was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventure ...

'', "Five Have a Mystery to Solve" (1996) - Emilio *''

'' - "Dumb Witness" (1996) - as Jacob Tanios *''

Soldier Soldier ''Soldier Soldier'' is a British television drama series. Created by Lucy Gannon, produced by Central Television and broadcast on the ITV network, it ran for a total of seven series and 82 episodes from 10 June 1991 to 9 December 1997. It ...

'', "Staying Together" (1993) - as Kurt *''

Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery fiction, mystery series, based on the Lovejoy (novel series), novels by John Grant (Lovejoy), John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six ser ...

'', "Benin Bronze" (1992) - as Andre *''

'' (1987) - as Beukes *''

'' (1982) (mini) - as Villem Craven *'' The Professionals'', "Mixed Doubles" (1980) - as Serpoy *'' Tales of the Unexpected'' - "Neck" (1979) - as John Bannister *'' Tales of the Unexpected'' - "A Time to Die" episode (1988) - as Henri *'' Wild Discovery'' - Narrator

Selected theatre roles

*''

Arms And The Man ''Arms and the Man'' is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's ''Aeneid'', in Latin: ''Arma virumque cano'' ("Of arms and the man I sing"). The play was first produced on 21 April 1894 at the Av ...

'' (1989) - as Bluntschli, Royal Exchange Theatre *''

'' (1984) - as Stanley Kowalski, Mermaid Theatre *''

'' (1984) - as Gratiano, Chichester Festival Theatre *'' Carrington'' (1993) - as Mark Gertler, Chichester Festival Theatre *''

'' (1990) - as Gerry Evans, Abbey Theatre, Dublin *'' I.D.'' (2003) - as John Vorster, Almeida *''

'' (2007) - as Shylock, Arcola *''

Taming Of The Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a Frame story, framing device, often referred to as the Induction (play), inducti ...

'' (2012) - as Vincentio, Royal Shakespeare Company. *'' The Doctor's Dilemma'' (2012) - as Schutzmacher, National Theatre. *''

'' (2017) - as Yair Hirshfeld and Shimon Peres, National Theatre.

Selected writing

*''Sweet LIke Suga'' - (1981/2) Old Red Lion, Centaur Montreal, Theatre 2000 Ottawa, stage play *''The Song Of My father'' - (1992) BBC Radio 4 60 minute play *''The Crackwalker'' - (1993) BBC Radio 4 short story *''Where's The Bull?'' - (1993) LBC Winner London Radio Playwrights Festival *''Dreaming Up Laura'' - (1995) BBC Radio 4 90 minute play *'' The Dead Wait'' - (2002) Royal Exchange Theatre, stage play *''Almost Heaven'' - (2005) Feature Film (co-wrote)

References

External links

*
Paul Herzberg
at th
Contemporary Africa Database
at the

Royal Exchange Theatre The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal Exc ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herzberg, Paul 1953 births Living people South African dramatists and playwrights University of Cape Town alumni University of Pretoria alumni South African male actors