Backstage baby gets in on the act

November 17, 2009
By Diane de Beer

It's tough being an artist, so when you're offered more than one job, you grab it. Fortunately for actor/director Pieter Bosch Botha the schedules for two new shows did not clash.

On weekends he directs Noises off, which will be staged at the Breytenbach Theatre in Pretoria from November 25 until 28.

During the week, he rehearses as one of the cast of the new Peter Terrey review, Spoof Full Of Sugar, which opens at Sandton's Old Mutual Theatre on the Square on Monday.

Pieter's Dad, At Botha (Dryfsand), Shareen Swart (7de Laan), Kaz McFadden (Villa Rosa) and Desire Manthey (Binnelanders)will all perform in Noises Off.

Every year, Swart, who is the head of Pretoria's Performing Arts Lifestyle Institute, puts on a stage production with her students.

As this was such a challenging production, she brought in a group of professional actors, including herself, with less than half the cast filled by students.

For Botha, it has been a particular challenge as he is still testing his directing skills, but having paid his dues with two years of children's theatre at the Roodepoort Civic as well as a physical theatre piece, Hats, which he plans to take to Grahamstown next year, he loves trying different genres.

As an added bonus, directing Dad has also gone without a hitch. Botha sr hasn't been on stage for about 20 years, but father and son say it's been a good experience. "He didn't pull rank," says junior.

Farce isn't an easy one to pull off, but watching Botha at work, it seems that, young as he is (23), he knows what he wants.

"It helps that I am an actor," he says. And one who grew up around actors, with his parents both famous Afrikaans actors (his mom, Annelize Bosch, did mostly stage).

As part of the cast of A Spoof Full of Sugar, Botha will display his singing and acting skills.

"It's a blast," says the performer, "and a send-up of everything from celebrities like Nicky Greenwall, Noelene and Joost to an insider's view of the entertainment industry.

Terrey is an old hand at this kind of writing and, a few years back, he used to present a regular review titled Joburg Follies.

With a cast featuring two men and two women, this sounds like something that runs along similar lines - a reprise in fact.

"We have hectic costume changes," says Botha, who thinks there will be as much fun backstage as in front of the curtain.

Joining him are Brendan Auret ( best known for his role as Dup in Isidingo), Top 10 Idols finalist Ntsepa Pitjeng and Dianne Simpson, who was part of the Sound of Music and My Fair Lady casts.

"It's familiar songs with fresh lyrics," says Botha, who is having as much fun on stage as in the director's chair.

"They always say it takes a good actor to be a good director," he concludes - and that is what he's striving for.

"It's constant andrenalin, that's why I love it so."