Nhlakanipho Manqele, a Drama Studies student at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), scooped two awards at the Mercury Durban Theatre Awards held recently…
1 December 2011
Nhlakanipho bags two awards
Nhlakanipho Manqele, a Drama Studies student at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), scooped two awards at the Mercury Durban Theatre Awards held recently. He was awarded the New Male Performer and Supporting Actor for his exceptional performance in Rajesh Gopie’s “The Coolie Odyssey”.
Manqele (24) said, “It feels great to have been awarded, but on the other hand it puts a lot of weight on my shoulders. All eyes are on me so I have to maintain this standard. To me this is not the reaching of some sort of pinnacle, but a beginning of greater things to come.”
With a cast of six in the show, all actors juggled multiple roles. Manqele played six characters. He said playing the two nominated characters of Monford, the Naidoo’s “garden boy”, and David, a “tea boy” employed by a compound owner, was a thrilling experience. Still, he had not anticipated the awards.
The Coolie Odyssey partly commemorates the arrival of Indians in South Africa 150 years ago. The plot is based largely on the indenture of Indian workers, who were recruited to work in the sugar plantations in Natal. The “humorous” stories of the different characters give insight into the hardships endured by this nation and their journey thus far.
“Working on the show was great! Even though I was the only black person in an Indian cast, I didn’t feel the racial difference. The show was also very insightful – I didn’t know much about the history of Indians in the country,” Manqele said. He added that working under Gopie’s stern direction was a beneficial experience.
The play has showed a number of times at The Playhouse and The Zulu theatre. A memorable experience for Manqele was performing in three cities in India in early January.
Drama Studies Senior Lecturer, Deborah Lutge said, “I am so pleased about this talented third year’s achievements.”
– Naledi Hlefane
