King Pie Psycho Girl #FlashbackFriday

For some reason I have often booked work where I gotta get a little crazy and not care too much about being/looking/feeling a little ridiculous in front of the camera. And those are usually the most enjoyable jobs!

So here is a great flashback for you guys to a commercial I shot in 2009 for King Pie entitled 'Psycho Girl'. That says it all!

Have a psychedelic weekend!
Chat soon,

Crazy Castings #ActressLife

Have you ever looked back at your career and really, no I mean really thought about some of the auditions and casting moments you have been faced with??

There have been some weird and wonderful requests and experiences during my career as actress... One that comes to mind was an audition for a soap where I had to portray a completely psychologically disturbed women in a hospital, who shoots her love interest during the scene, locks herself in the bathroom and threatens suicide. Which wouldn't be strange on the actual set but in the casting room with only one other person and absolutely no props or actors reading opposite you - it can get a little interesting!

Or you end up auditioning with a poker-faced monotonous 'actor' reading in the lines (often they're the wrong sex for the character). I once had to actually eat the actual (dry) cereal in the casting room with a spoon which all the other auditionees had already used, oh... and then deliver a line afterwards. I've had to pretend to speak to imaginary digital characters, fall in love with a mannequin, get pretend hi-jacked and dance like nobody's watching. I have had to do a full on made-up-on-the-spot yoga routine, pretend my finger snaps bring imaginary items to life, pretend I'm surfing and pretend I'm playing tennis (well)! I've had to moonwalk to work, dance like a robot, a drunk party animal, a cheerleader and a ballerina. I have had to imagine a horrific crime scene and become emotional over it, have had to memorise pages and pages of script for one character - by the next day and speak in several different accents, sometimes even other languages. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

What a crazy wonderful job, never quite the same and certainly never ever dull. Even once you get booked for the job, there is a large amount of the set and warderobe that isn't actually physically there (often added in post) which must be created by the actors' imagination and ability to put themselves into that possible reality. And sometimes your co-actor can not be part of a take due to space, availability or a type of camera angle for the shot. Think of a bedroom scene where the lens is filming the POV (point of view) of the person lying at the bottom, or a POV during a fight, a telephone call etc... There are many such instances where the actor doesn't have the luxury of playing off of another actor's lines or reactions.
Personally I have found that working as an improv actor has greatly improved my skill with these situations and auditions.

I hope you enjoy some of the mad pics of castings I've been to over the last while...

Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeext!!!!

Bye for now!

I Have Life #OutAndAbout

Do any of you remember the December 1994 news story about the women Alison Botha, who was abducted in PE by two men, raped, stabbed and disemboweled; finally left for dead with her head nearly severed from her body after 16 stab wounds to her neck. And she survived.
Miraculously Alison dragged herself to the middle of the road nearby and was rescued by veterinary student Tiaan Eilerd and later also some incredible doctors, who had no idea how she could still be alive.
Her story is one with so much wonder, shock, awe, courage, belief and inspiration.

Over the weekend Ferdinand and I took a few of the FADCreationS mentorship students to watch the theatrical portrayal of this woman's story at the Sandton Auto and General Theatre on the Square  I Have Life - Alison's Journey.  I knew it was going to be heavy, but I did not expect to be quite so moved, shaken and inspired.

The wonderfully effective and minimalist set and lighting is the work of the talented Denis Hutchinson. The piece was adapted and directed by Maralin Vanrenen and the role of Alison is portrayed by Suanne Braun. And the wonderful supporting cast of 4 are Shaeleen Tobin, Zak Hendrikz, Clayton Boyd and David De Beer.

It is not an easy watch, it takes you right to that moment with her, makes you wonder what you would have done, makes you ask a multitude of questions, it has you disgusted, disturbed, in awe and perplexed. It has you fighting tears without success and wrenches deep empathy not only for the ordeal she went through but for everything that comes after and how often that torture is what most 'victims' don't overcome.
Alison's message speaks of her own personal ABC's, Attitude, Belief and Choice. These things combined can be what pulls us through the worst of circumstances; it is our choice, it is our attitude and it is our unrelenting belief that can make all the difference.

Suanne Braun with the real Alison, who has been supporting the piece I Have Life avidly and will be attending the final performances this week.

What was so profound to me was that in spite of multiple stab wounds to her neck and it being almost completely severed, none of her vital arteries or vocal chords were damaged; in spite of multiple stab wounds to her abdomen and genitalia, none of her vital organs were punctured or damaged, and Alison was still able to have children (two boys). Her survival and recovery was nothing short of a miracle.

There were powerful performances in this piece and I will always make mention of my friend and insanely talented actor Zak Hendrikz, who takes on the difficult challenge of portraying Alison's main attacker Frans, night after night (among other characters). But then I need to take a moment in order to wax lyrical about the profound brilliance that is Shaeleen Tobin. If I thought I would walk out of the theatre dry eyed, I was sorely mistaken. Shaeleen's emotional portrayal of both Alison's mom and best friend had me spilling over every time, she draws you in and makes you feel whether you want to or not. She is so real and honest and engaging. She is just something else and someone I can only attempt to aspire to as an actress. Thank you Daphne Kuhn and Maralin Vanrenen for braving such an impactful and important story and piece.

I thought I might walk out feeling morbid and disillusioned by the cruelty there is in this world. Instead I felt moved. I felt moved to do more, to be more and to believe more. To believe in my own capabilities, realising that we are infinitely stronger and more able than we think.

"No matter the circumstances, you always control your attitude, your beliefs and the choices you make..." Alison

Chat soon,