ATN interview: Pauline Malefane, The Mysteries
By Elizabeth Odogwu
Published, 23 August, 2009

An award winning actor, opera singer, screenwriter and musical director Pauline Malefane is a multifaceted artist and a force to be reckoned with. In September she returns to London in a new production of The Mysteries – Yiimimangaliso with the South African based Isango Portobello Theatre Company who last year brought us the Olivier Award winning The Magic Flute – Impempe Yomlingo and the highly successful A Christmas Carol - Ikrismas Kherol.

The Mysteries – Yiimimangaliso, is an Africanised adaptation of the medieval English mystery plays, tell me a bit about the production?
It’s still the same as the English mystery plays but with our [Isango Portobello] productions we always give them an African taste. The script is the same, the English sometimes the same but the change is that we do it in a mixture of African languages. Also it’s a musical so we use drums, tyres, spoons and bottles, anything that you can get from a township. Anything that makes noise, a nice sound or that we can create music with.

The play has been seen by audiences of over 250,000 worldwide so far. What do you believe to be the secret behind its success?
The Mysteries that is coming to London now is quite different to The Mysteries that came before. It has the same script but there are changes like God being played by a woman which automatically changes things. I don’t want to give too much away but I think we’re changing the texture and showing different sides.

How have audiences reacted to the combination of languages used – English, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana and Zulu – throughout the play?
In our first production of the mysteries that we took to London in 2003 people didn’t have a problem with it because they knew the stories. Most of it is in English obviously so that people are able to follow the story well but its theatre, you know? It has a way of communicating itself. It’s nice for people to hear the sounds that we make. I remember some people didn’t know that one could sing in their indigenous language which was quite surprising; some people find it quite bizarre.

You play the lead roles of God and Jesus, no mean feat by any standards, how did you prepare for such a task?
I’m still preparing for it. I don’t think it’s a role where you prepare and then perform I think you prepare all the time. I think it would be easy to play Winnie Mandela or Desmond Tutu because I’ve seen these people. There is footage of them from when they were young, we’ve seen these people physically but with God you can’t say ‘God is this kind of person’, you just have to take the word of the Bible, or rather what the scriptures say about what God has done or created so it’s difficult. What I do on stage changes every night because God deals with situations differently all the time. It’s nice to change the way you do your role everyday as you do five to seven performances a week so you have to change the texture or your voice. Something has to change for you to be able to express yourself, it’s exciting for me.

You’ve received critical acclaim and recognition internationally for your previous roles including Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute and Carmen in U-Carmen which lead to The Observer describing you as “the Carmen by which all others should be measured”. Would you say you were drawn to complex and challenging characters?
I don’t choose my characters. If one were sentimental one would say the roles that are coming to me were meant to be done by me. I’m not a typical actress where someone sends me a script, though that would be nice (laughs). The company I work for allows me to venture into all these complicated characters. Someone else would say you need more experience to play God but I think for me it’s important to do these things and actually do them well and bring a fresh look at these things because normally the roles that I do are done by older women. I did Carmen when I was 23 or 24 and people at home were saying ‘she’s too young, she hasn’t got any experience’, so I would say I’m quite lucky at my age to have done these roles. I’ve put a lot into them and I think I have done them well.

What attracted you to take on the role of co-musical director of The Mysteries?
I didn’t (laughs). We look inside the company and see what talent we have and find a way of using what we have to make things work instead of looking outside. We have someone like Mandisi Dyantyis (co-musical director) who is so talented and enlightened and think well why not use that? and then it also sort of came to me and it is a fantastic experience.

What was it like working with your husband Mark Dornford-May director of the play?
I worked with him before we had a personal relationship so the first relationship we developed was a professional one. I’m able to separate our personal and professional relationships but at times, I have to be honest I feel that I should be treated as a wife and he feels he should be treated as a husband. We joke at work and say ‘where’s my lunch?’ and I’ll say ‘I have mine, where’s yours?’, so it’s a very easy work relationship but also at times I’m sure he’d like to kill me and at times I’d like to strangle him but ultimately it works.

You’re a celebrated opera singer, actor, screenwriter and musical director but which is your first love and why?
Singing. I’m saying singing, not being an opera singer because I started singing way before I went to university to study opera and it was just a fluke it’s not something that I planned to be. It is something that I enjoy. It’s something I’m able to express myself with.

You grew up in Khayelitsha, one of South Africa’s largest townships and I presume experienced first hand the reality of living through the apartheid regime. How has this impacted on you and informed your own experiences as an actress?
When I was growing up in the 80’s the struggle was violent, people were dying in front of others but I think in a way it has helped people to say if we want something we have to strive for it but not necessarily using the violence. During apartheid people were forced to live alone and not ask questions and so they got stuck. But with my generation we were moving away from apartheid so in my time we got it quite easy. If you look at the people who really got it hard, you know, the Mandela’s and the people who had a strong hand you feel that you owe so much to them. Some of them died fighting for you so it’s difficult to say the apartheid years have not contributed to one’s success. You don’t want to live your whole life in a township you want to get something better for your parents and your children.

What do you believe has been the key to your success?
It’s nice that you think I’m successful (laughs), but obviously this is not where I want to be. I would like more success which means I have to work double hard. What drives me is the passion that I have for my work and the company and also their support and my family. If I didn’t have this support I would not be able to do my job well. I have two children and travel a lot and it’s fantastic to know that when you’re not at home your kids are safe. I work hard and I learn from my colleagues. One will always learn from the next person especially in the entertainment industry.

How does black theatre in South Africa compare to the rest of the world?
In terms of performance theatre in South Africa is growing. You see a lot of people passionate about being actors. In school you have drama now but there is still a long way to go. In Cape Town we have only one opera house and theatres, I don’t know but it could be less than ten so people don’t have the opportunity to exercise their talent as there is no infrastructure. It’s definitely changing but I don’t know if you can compare it to the world stage. You can compare individuals but I don’t know if you can compare the theatre itself.

What advice do you have for those hoping to emulate your career?
I don’t know if I’d call it advice but I’d say if you don’t feel passionate about it do not do it. It could be working in a bank or whatever but if nothing drives or inspires you to do it there’s no point. It’s about passion and if that is not there you will suffer and do things that are not up to standard. In the company we work as a team and if you’re performing with other people it’s important you enjoy what you do and keep learning.

And finally why should audiences go see The Mysteries – Yiimimangaliso?
It’s fun. It’s entertainment at its best. It’s fresh, and the energy. You won’t sit and go to sleep there’s no way. If you’re a Christian it’s for you, if you’re looking for entertainment it’s for you and it doesn’t matter how old you are it’s for you. At the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town we had Muslims coming to see the show and enjoying it. It’s a nice production done by a passionate group of actors.