Cultsha Kennis

  Dean Balie is an actor, musician and composer, having worked mostly in theatre and radio. He graduated from Stellenbosch University with a BA in Drama in 2010, making his professional debut in the Maynardville production of Antony and Cleopatra and Die Kortstondige raklewe van Anastasia W , both directed by Mathinus Basson. He is most known for performances in musical and drama productions at the Fugard Theatre, a few which include David Kramer and Taliep Petersen’s Kat and the Kings in 2012 ( Cultsha Kennis has fond memories of him playing the charming young Kat Diamond!) , for which he won a Fleur Du Cap award for Best Actor in a Musical, and Kramer’s Blood Brothers (2014) , Happy New Year and Orpheus in Africa (2015). He has also performed locally and internationally at the Grahamstown Festival in 2015, the International Shakespeare Festival in Romania and the Tennessee Williams Festival in the USA. Other theatre credits include Abrahamse and Meyer’s productions of The Tragedy o

From The Battered Housewives' Club  Zubayr Charles is a writer and English teacher at the Good Hope Seminary Girls’ High School in Cape Town. Naturally, he became good friends with the author of Cultsha Kennis after we met him at the David Kramer Masterclasses in 2019 and discovered his affinity for Bo-Kaap. In the current South African climate where gender-based violence is addressed as a second pandemic after the Covid-19 pandemic, as per the recent address by SA President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zubayr’s playwriting is support of the victims of abuse is widely significant. Read more below!  Cultsha Kennis: Congratulations on completing your first semester with your MA in Creative Writing at UCT. Tell us more about your program, and the novel you’re writing. ZC: Shukran! Well the programme is structured between two years. For the first year, writers complete a compulsory workshop with South African author Imraan Coovadia, and thereafter writers have to choose three other

Wayne Anthony is the creator of Ronné’s Murder Mysteries , an interactive theatre event where attendees get to participate in the story. Could this theatre style be a springboard for new ways in which we can tell our stories, Kaapstad? Read more below!   Cultsha Kennis: How did you start Ronné’s Murder Mysteries ? WA: In 2014, I had quit my job to put myself in college and had to move to Fish Hoek. Being that I have never moved to a new house before, I thought doing a murder mystery from scratch would be fun for a housewarming party, so my friends got to see the new house (this was the first ever game that I wrote which is completely different to the game that would be played today). There were five rounds of clues for each participant and a treasure hunt. All clues were handwritten as you played the game. You got to learn who you were and you sat around a table. The first three games were set behind a table and you would play while you ate. At the time, I was only deal

Ôs afgelope paa conversations met Veronique Jephtas was so bubbly en enjoyable dat Cultsha Kennis beslis hierrie saam’t julle wil deel. Veronique se wêk is multifaceted nes haar personality, ‘n baie key element wat vi kunstenaa’s soe interesting maak. Lies leqqa hieronner!     Cultsha Kennis: Congrats mettie suksesvolle loop van Hoe Change Hulle by Toyota US Woordfees 2020! Sê meer vir ôs oorie toneel. Wat het jou geinspireer om hierrie storie te skryf? Issie storie van Sheldon gebaseer op ‘n werklike persoon? VJ:  Hoe Change Hulle is ‘n storie oor bruinmans en ie constant struggles wat hulle face. It daag Pa's yt om te sien ie effect wat hulle het op hulle kinnes. Ma's oek, but vir ‘n laitie, is ‘n pa mos ma altyd ‘n groot influence. It deal met ie stereotypes wat daa' buite is oo' ôs mense en Shelly praat oo' sy past relationship met Hailey, wat oek ie oorsaak is vir hom wat innie tronk is. Dit vra die letterlike vraag “hoe change hulle?” – hoe gaan

Bianca Flanders is best known for playing strong, emotive female roles in the multiple theatre productions we’ve seen her in over the years. After seeing her play an ‘onnie’ in The Riviera on SABC 2, we thought it’s time for a dialogue with her!   Cultsha Kennis: Congratulations on publishing your children's book,  Pumpkin Finds Her Queen.  Tell us what inspired you to write this book and why you've also written the Afrikaans version,  Prinses Pampoenpit .  BF: When I was a child I absolutely hated my hair. I was also an avid reader, but as an adult I remember that none of the characters in my books looked like me. I wanted to write a book about a topic that I struggled with as child, and I wanted to create a hero for kids who perhaps haven't felt represented. I wanted to write the book that I never had.  Cultsha Kennis: You've also been part of the cast in David Kramer's  Orpheus in Africa . How do you go about preparing to perform a character

Out of all our creative partnerships that we’ve built over the years since our initial blogging years, our partnership with Taare is our most proud one! After our last interview with them 2 years ago on their Bollywood Enchanted (2018) production, we just had to revisit them to talk about what they’ve been up to since. Read more on our conversation below with Ahneesh Valodia, Taare’s Artistic Director and Choreographer.     Cultsha Kennis: Congratulations on Taare's 8th birthday! As Taare's Artistic Director, what were the biggest highlights that has come from working with Taare over the past 8 years?  AV: If I had to answer this in one word, I'd say: GROWTH. Seeing the growth across different aspects of our dance group has been a phenomenal experience for me. From seeing dancers grow as performers and as individuals and seeing life-long friendships blossom as a result of dance; to seeing the manner in which we've been able to produce productions with each b