Interview: André Terblanché discusses VER IN DIE WERELD KITTIE

David Kramer’s award-winning musical VER IN DIE WERELD KITTIE is returning to Cape Town for a limited run, happening at The Blik. Lead actor André Terblanché chatted to us about his role and the play.

BWW: First thing I have to ask – how did you approach playing a character based on someone who is fairly famous and well-known internationally?

André: Portraying a real person is always challenging, as there's an expectation to look and sound exactly like them while also capturing their essence. Fortunately, there are numerous recordings of Joseph's work, and I enjoyed researching him, uncovering interesting records and trivia in various obscure corners of the internet. Even though I took some liberties in developing and interpreting the character, with guidance from the director and my fellow actors, I strived to portray Joseph as accurately as possible. This was particularly important when performing as part of the Marais and Miranda duo in VER IN DIE WERELD KITTIE. I paid close attention to the tone and inflections of his voice and his distinctive way of speaking (when in performance mode), influenced by his radio career.

BWW: The play deals with the notion that the songs that made your character, Josef Marais, famous weren’t his, that he stole them from a man who worked on his father’s farm. How do you approach such a sensitive topic in terms of creating a character and telling his story?

André: We spent a lot of time discussing cultural appropriation as a cast during rehearsals, sharing personal experiences, and sharing the views of the characters as understood by us actors portraying the roles. David Kramer, the director, often challenged us with hot-seat sessions, interrogating the characters and encouraging raw, spontaneous reactions while eliminating intellectual responses. Although it is quite an uncomfortable experience, it forces you to engage with the topic beyond the text, through the eyes of the character. I believe one must be true to the character, regardless of personal views or convictions. Essentially, each character has a truth and a unique perspective, and these perceptions collectively represent the understanding or psyche of the time. We have come a long way. We judge the past through the eyes of the present. This is both unfair and necessary for societal development.

BWW: There’s quite a significant duality within the story – the rise to fame of Josef and Miranda, coupled with the life back on the farm in rural South Africa for Kittie and Koos. How is this shown through the play?

André: Even though Joseph and Miranda face their own challenges—Joseph feeling ostracized as a Jew in England, and Rosa, or Miranda as she is known on stage, fleeing the war in Europe with her two children—they still have access to opportunities. In contrast, Koos and Kittie in South Africa are trapped in a system where no amount of hard work, skill, or talent can alter their fate of being chained to a life of labor since birth. To make matters worse, the one thing Kittie and Koos possess—their identity, cultural stories, and folk songs—becomes the currency that Marais and Marinda use to attain their fame.

BWW: You’ve performed a lot with your own band, André & the Swingers, so how does it feel to be back on stage in a theatre production?

André: If the Covid-19 pandemic taught me one thing, it is that there is no shame in being a "jack of all trades" (master of some). While I have been performing in music concerts and theatre productions all my life, I can't limit myself to just one role. I enjoy directing, voice work, entertainment coordinating, and songwriting. I also owned a music store for many years and currently work as the technical coordinator for a prominent arts festival.

BWW: Finally, what’s the most important thing you’ve taken away from VER IN DIE WERELD KITTIE as an actor and as a person?

André: Tell the stories of those who have been silenced, even if it means you have to play the villain.

Photo credit: Gys Loubser

VER IN DIE WERELD KITTIE will be on at The Blik 27 July to 11 August. Tickets cost R230 and can be booked via Webtickets.

The Blik is located at 110 Gunners Circle, Epping. For directions visit https://theblik.co.za/#find-die-blik

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