Tshegofatso Mafojane’s dream has always been to one day have her own microphone at a theatre production.
That chance finally came when she landed the lead role of Sarafina!, which opens on Friday night at the Joburg Theatre.
As a professional dancer, she is used to playing a supporting role but this time, the coin flip turned in her favour.
“I went to audition for a dancer role but it’s always necessary to be a triple threat- sing, dance and act. I gave it my best shot, said a few lines and Dr Mbongeni Ngema liked it. He gave me a script to rehearse at home and I was so nervous I couldn’t sleep that night making sure I got everything correct.
After auditioning for Ngema on the last day she was told she got the part. Mafojane has worked with Ngema previously for the Asinamali movie last year.
“As a professional dancer I have worked with many choreographers and my main jobs are international with a German company that I am working for at the moment. When I was younger I did some musicals here at home before moving to work overseas.”
The 35-year-old knew that it was just a matter of time before she would be given a chance to become a lead character in a production.
“I am a jack of all trades and never sleep on any opportunity. I’m just happy to be given a chance have my own microphone, that’s the part I won’t ever forget about this role. I want my friends to finally see me. From here on, people must just watch this space.”
OPENING NIGHT: Mbongeni Ngema's hit musical Sarafina! opens on Friday at the Joburg Theatre.
Mafojane said the preparation for the production was just over a month and had allowed her to get all the technical elements correct for her role. She said the audience who will be at the show tonight must expect a thrill of a time.
“They must expect freshness. Sarafina! has been growing from generation to generation. Things change as they should. There will be lots of movement, excitement and positivity from the young talent. We are definitely going to do our best to perform and sing and get all the emotions out to own the show.”
For Menelisi Nkambule,who plays the role of a police officer on the show, this will be his third Sarafina! production.
POWERFUL: The cast of Sarafina!
“I was an understudy at the Sarafina! production at State Theatre and now I am one of the main characters. Preparing for the role required a lot of research. I went to a police station in Soweto to observe and see how officers conduct themselves on a daily basis and what they do in terms of emergencies and how they respond,” he said.
Nkambule said as South Africans living in a democracy it was hard for him to take on the role of a black man with a white Apartheid mentality.
“I had to really stretch myself for this character,we fine tuned it and know that the audience will get a good show out of it.
He said he wanted the audience to understand the intensity of where we come from as a nation when they leave the theatre.
“Especially the youth and remind them that we have freedom today because of the youth of 1976. It will be a wake up call to the youth to say guys let us not misuse this democracy we have, remember where we come from and strive for a better country.”
Sarafina! is showing at the Joburg Theatre until Sunday, June 24.
@mane_mpi