THALIA TONEEL TOOR MET TALENT

Nica-May van Zyl 

@n.i.c.a.vz_12_

English translation follows

 

Skaterlag, trane pink en baie genot. Wat meer wil jy hê? Thalia Toneel het tydens hul toneelweek, vanaf 12 Augustus tot 15 Augustus, die Cachet Kleinteater laat wemel. Om elke hoek en draai het daar ʼn aangename verrassing vir die gehoor gewag.

Die eerste twee aande (12 en 13 Augustus) van die toneelweek, het Thalia Toneel die intieme gehore vermaak met die skreeusnaakse komedie, Baker’s Hotel. 

Baker’s Hotel het bo geblink en onder gestink, wat baie spanning veroorsaak het toe die nuus gebreek het dat ʼn hotelinspekteur op pad is. 

Met elke karakter snaakser as die vorige een, het meneer Baker, hartseer genoeg, nie die hotelinspekteur se toets geslaag nie, maar toe dié inspekteur die hotel oorgekoop het, kon al die personeel hul werk hou.

Gerhard Clark het die vertolking van meneer Baker behartig. Hy het gesê dat hy dit die meeste geniet het om weer op die verhoog te kon wees. Hy het genoem dat die verskillende karakters vir hom die hoogtepunt van die vertonings was. 

“My gunsteling deel van Baker’s Hotel was die mense. En hoe almal op die verhoog so lieflik was,” het Raylene Eksteen, wat die vertolking van Nombi behartig het, gesê.

Kyla Prinsloo, Thalia Toneel se voorsitter, het gesê dat die einde van Baker’s Hotel vir haar ʼn hoogtepunt was. “Waar meneer Baker gesê het dat die hotel ʼn groot familie is, want dit het gewys hoe Thalia ook as ʼn familie saamkom,” het sy gesê. 

Die gehoor is vriendelik verras om twee van Thalia Toneel se bestuurslede, wat aan die begin van die aand aan die gehoor voorgestel is, op die verhoog te sien. 

Rico Taljaard, Thalia Toneel se ondervoorsitter en tegniese bestuurder en Karla Luyt, Thalia Toneel se bemarker, het afsonderlik die rolle van Martin en Maggi behartig. Dié twee het nie net gehelp om Thalia Toneel tot perfeksie te bestuur nie, maar hulle het ook geweet hoe om die Baker’s Hotel gehoor goed lewendig te hou. 

Die derde en vierde aande van Thalia Toneel se toneelweek (14 en 15 Augustus) het trane, lewenslesse en hoop vir verandering gebring. Thalia Toneel se drama, Seisoen Sloop, het die verhaal van Ewan, ʼn tienerseun wat noodgedwonge die man van sy huis was, vertel.

Met ʼn alkoholis van ʼn ma en ʼn sussie wat nie normaal is nie, moes Ewan alleen deur die seisoene van die lewe geveg het. Sy monsters het gewen en die gehoor het gesnik soos hulle huil toe die wasgoedlyn geval het en Ewan homself om die lewe gebring het.

Crisandi Wessels, uit die Seisoen Sloop gehoor, het gesê dat sy die boodskap van Seisoen Sloop altyd sal onthou, dat party mense baie sterk voorkom maar eintlik probeer hulle net hul emosies baie diep binne in hulle wegsteek.

Suanté Pretorius, nog ʼn Seisoen Sloop gehoorlid, het gesê dat die toneel haar geleer het om nie mense te oordeel as jy nie weet waardeur hulle gaan nie. “Almal ervaar sekere goed op ʼn ander level,” het sy gesê.

Pretorius se gunsteling karakter was Ewan, omdat hy sterk gestaan het vir so lank as wat hy kon. “Hy het baie baklei vir goed wat hy nie eers geweet het hy teen baklei het nie,” het sy genoem. 

Tussendeur die hartseer en diep-dink het Thalia Toneel nóg ʼn haas uit die hoed getrek, toe daar aangekondig is dat die meesterstuk, Seisoen Sloop, deur Luan van den Heever, Thalia Toneel se produksiebestuurder en die akteur agter Ewan, geskryf is.

Twintig jarige Van den Heever se pa spot altyd met hom en sê dat die ink deur sy are vloei. Met Van den Heever wat vêrlangs verwant is aan die alombekende skrywer, Christiaan Maurits (CM) van den Heever, is dít nie ver van die waarheid nie.

Die skryf van Seisoen Sloop was nie Van den Heever se eerste keer om die dansvloer nie. Die gebore skrywer, het in matriek vir ʼn kerk ʼn toneelstuk geskryf en hy speel al toneel vanaf graad 4. 

Toneel het vir Van den Heever begin toe ʼn laerskool juffrou vir hom gesê het dat hy toneel moet speel weens die feit dat hy in ʼn klein skool was. In die hoërskool is Van den Heever ook blootgestel aan Tienertoneel en DigiToneel waarmee hy baie goed was. “Dáár het ek myself in dit ingesien,” het hy gesê.

Van den Heever vertel hoe hy Thalia Toneel toe later op die PUK ontdek het. “Toe het ek gesien dat as ek op die bestuur is, ek die kans gaan hê om my eerste stuk op die planke te bring,” het hy gesê. 

Hy noem dat hy al lankal die konsep van Seisoen Sloop gehad het, en toe hy die geleentheid op vrye teuels gekry het, het hy besluit “die stuk moet nou klaar kom.”

Die inspirasie agter Seisoen Sloop kom neer op die hoeveelheid gesinne wat sonder ʼn pa sit en die feit dat niemand dit aanspreek nie. 

“Dit moet die heeltyd toegehou word want die pa moet dit dra vir die res van die gesin om kop bo water te hou. Maar die water van die eend se rug, is die einste water wat die man laat verstik, ” verduidelik Van den Heever ernstig.

Van den Heever het gesê dat Seisoen Sloop gebore is en geskryf is, elke keer toe hy nie kon slaap nie. “Hartseer musiek in ʼn donker plek met ʼn enkel bedlampie, dan vloei dit,” het hy gesê.  

Van den Heever het gesê dat Mom and Dad van Darren Kiely, die hoof liedjie was, wat hom as skrywer in die “mood” gekry het. “Dié liedjie motiveer my, want my ouers is my alles en dit is as gevolg van hulle dat ek hier is en nou kan doen wat ek doen,” sê hy nostalgies.

Die naam, Seisoen Sloop het gekom van die gedagte dat die lewe seisoene is, ons gaan deur winters, lente, somer, en herfs, en die feit dat Ewan soos ʼn kussing is wat elke keer net ʼn skoon sloop opgesit het vir ʼn skoon gesig terwyl hy aan die binnekant vrot en vuil was.

Van den Heever het gesê dat hy sal wil hê dat mense wat Seisoen Sloop gekyk het na mekaar sal kyk. 

“Kyk regtig, partykeer kan ons net ʼn sloop oortrek en sê ons is oukei maar niemand loop die ekstra myl om dieper te delf nie. Party van ons het nie familie of vriende nie, so as jy daardie een persoon kan wees in iemand anders se lewe wat ʼn verskil kan maak, doen dit! Wees daardie persoon,” het hy gesê. 

Van den Heever antwoord “definitief” op die vraag of mense kan verwag dat hy nóg stukke in die toekoms sal skryf. 

André Milne, wat die rol van Hansie in Baker’s Hotel asook die rol van Vriend in Seisoen Sloop vertolk het, som Thalia Toneel se toneelweek as “life-changing” op.

Prinsloo het gesê dat Thalia Toneel se toneelweek ʼn hele ervaring van harde werk was. “Klomp stres, maar ons staan terug en sê net wow. Daar is soveel talent in Thalia en die feit dat ons die talent wat ons gekry het, ten toon kon stel was so groot eer,” het sy gesê.

Prinsloo het gesê dat dit mooi was om te sien hoe die mense dit geniet het. “Om saam met ons te kon lag en huil,” het sy uitgelig. 

Thalia Toneel se toneelweek was alles in een. Die gehore is vermaak, die gehore het gehuil en dieper gedink, die gehore is geïnspireer. Thalia Toneel het hulle alombekende leuse “We will make you famous” met vanjaar se tonne talent, begin bewaarheid. 

Wie weet, dalk paradeer meneer Baker, die alkoholis ma of Vriend eendag nog op jóú kassie. Of dalk smeek jy, die dan famous, Van den Heever vir ʼn handtekening by sy eerste boekuitstalling of film première…

Teksversorging deur Danica Nortjé

 

 

Tearing up with laughter and hours of enjoyment. What more could you want? Thalia Toneel swarmed the Cachet Klein Teater with talent during their theatre week, from August 12 to August 15. Around every corner, a pleasant surprise awaited the audience.

During the first two nights (August 12 and 13) of the theatre week, Thalia Toneel entertained their audiences with the hilarious comedy, Baker’s Hotel.

Despite outwards appearances, all that glitters is not gold when it comes to Baker’s Hotel, which causes a lot of stress when news broke that a hotel inspector was on his way.

With each character funnier than the last, Mister Baker, sadly enough, did not pass the hotel inspector’s test. However, when that inspector bought the hotel, the staff members were able to keep their jobs.

Gerhard Clark played the part of Mister Baker. He said he enjoyed being back on stage the most. He mentioned that the different characters were the highlight of the shows for him.

“My favorite part of Baker’s Hotel was the people. And how everyone on stage was so lovely,” said Raylene Eksteen, who played the role of Nombi.

Kyla Prinsloo, Thalia Toneel’s chairman, said the end of Baker’s Hotel was a highlight for her. “Where Mister Baker said the hotel was a big family because it showed Thalia coming together as a family as well,” she said.

The audience was surprised to see two of Thalia Toneel’s board members, who were introduced on stage at the beginning of the evening.

Rico Taljaard, Thalia Toneel’s vice-chairman and technical manager, and Karla Luyt, Thalia Toneel’s marketer, played the roles of Martin and Maggi respectively. Not only did these two help manage Thalia Toneel to perfection, but they also knew how to keep the Baker’s Hotel audience lively.

The third and fourth nights of Thalia Toneel’s theatre week (14 and 15 August) brought tears, life lessons and hope for change. Thalia Toneel’s drama, Seisoen Sloop, told the story of Ewan, a teenage boy who was forced to be the man of the house.

With an alcoholic mother and a sister who is not normal, Ewan had to fight through the seasons of life alone. His monsters won and the audience sobbed as the clothesline fell and Ewan took his own life.

Crisandi Wessels, from the Seisoen Sloop audience, said that she will always remember the message of Seisoen Sloop, that some people appear very strong but they are actually just trying to suppress and hide their emotions.

Suanté Pretorius, another Seisoen Sloop audience member, said that the scene taught her not to judge people if you don’t know what they are going through. “Everyone experiences certain things on a different level,” she said.

Pretorius’ favourite character was Ewan, because he stood strong for as long as he could. “He fought a lot for stuff he didn’t even know he was fighting against,” she mentioned.

In between the sadness and deep thoughts, Thalia Toneel pulled yet another rabbit out of the hat when it was announced that the masterpiece, Seisoen Sloop, had been written by Luan van den Heever, Thalia Toneel’s production manager and the actor behind Ewan.

Twenty-year-old Van den Heever’s father always jokes with him, saying that the ink flows through his veins. With Van den Heever closely related to the well-known author, Christiaan Maurits (CM) van den Heever, this is not far from the truth.

Writing Seisoen Sloop wasn’t Van den Heever’s first time around the dance floor. The born writer, wrote a play in matric for a church and he has been acting since grade 4.

Theatre started for Van den Heever when a primary school teacher told him to do theatre due to the fact that he was in a small school. In high school, Van den Heever was also exposed to Tienertoneel and DigiToneel which he was very good at. “I saw myself in it,” he said.

Van den Heever tells how he later discovered Thalia Toneel on the PUK. “Then I saw that if I’m on the board, I’m going to have a chance to stage my first piece,” he said.

He mentions that he has had the concept of Seisoen Sloop for a long time, and when given the opportunity, he decided “the piece must be finished now.”

The inspiration behind Seisoen Sloop comes down to the amount of families sitting without a father and the fact that no one is addressing it.

“It has to be kept quiet all the time because the father has to wear it for the rest of the family to stay afloat. But the water off the duck’s back is the very water that makes the man choke,” Van den Heever explains seriously.

Van den Heever said that Seisoen Sloop was born and written every time he couldn’t sleep. “Sad music in a dark place with a single bedside lamp, then it flows,” he said.

Van den Heever said that Mom and Dad by Darren Kiely, was the main song, which got him into the mood as a writer. “This song motivates me because my parents are my everything and it’s because of them that I’m here and can now do what I do,” he says nostalgically.

The name, Seisoen Sloop, came from the thought that life is like seasons. We go through winter, spring, summer, and fall, and the fact that Ewan is like a pillow who just put up a clean case every time for a clean face while being rotten and dirty on the inside.

Van den Heever said he would want people who watched Seisoen Sloop to look at each other.

“Look really, sometimes we can just pull over a pillow case and say we’re okay but nobody goes the extra mile to dig deeper. Some of us don’t have family or friends, so if you can be that one person in someone else’s life who can make a difference, do it! Be that person,” he said.

Van den Heever replies “definitively” to the question of whether people can expect him to write more pieces in the future.

André Milne, who played the role of Hansie in Baker’s Hotel as well as the role of Vriend in Seisoen Sloop, sums up Thalia Toneel’s theatre week as “life-changing”.

Prinsloo said that Thalia Toneel’s acting week was a whole experience of hard work. “Loads of stress, but we stand back and just say wow. There is so much talent in Thalia and the fact that we were able to showcase the talent we got was such a great honour,” she said.

Prinsloo said it was beautiful to see how the people enjoyed it. “To be able to laugh and cry with us,” she highlighted.

Thalia Toneel’s theatre week was everything in one. The audiences were entertained, cried, thought deeper, and they were inspired. Thalia Toneel started their well-known motto “We will make you famous” with this year’s tons of talent.

Who knows, maybe Mister Baker, the alcoholic mother or Vriend will parade on your shelf one day. Or maybe you’re begging the then famous Van den Heever for an autograph at his first book exhibition or film premiere…

 

Translation by Simoné de Witt