Rushney Ferguson plays the title role in David Kramer’s musical Ver In Die Wêreld Kittie at The Blik in Cape Town.
In the lead-up to a new production, how do you prepare – physically, mentally and emotionally?
Preparation is extremely personal and psychological for me. Some even say I take it too seriously and that maybe I over-prepare, but I like to think of it as being ready for anything. Being show fit and being regular fit are two very different things. Having stamina for a musical is important because you are not only performing on stage but you also have a backstage track that you have to run every night. It’s filled with quick changes, making your way from one entrance to the next and so on. Generally I treat every day as if it’s a performance day. I warm up every morning, physically and vocally. In the evenings, before I go to bed, I do a little bit of a cool down and meditation. I take breaks often so that I don’t overwork my instrument, too. With all my script work, I usually try to dive deep into the person’s mind. What are their wants and needs? What obstacles are they facing? What are their goals? What are they trying to achieve within that particular scene? This is where backstories and research comes in, especially when you’re working with historical facts and stories that are based on specific people. This helps you discover why characters are the way that they are and what it is that drives them. The actual show prep or “pre-show ritual” on the day is a whole different story and it differs from person to person but all in all, being prepared come first.
What is the single most influential performance you’ve ever seen – the one that made you feel, “This is what I want to do with my life!”?
There is s story that I tell anyone who will listen about the first time I was introduced to David Kramer and Taliep Pertersen. I have always wanted to be a performer, whether that be dancing, singing or acting. I just never knew that I could do all three artforms at once, until the first time I watched Kat & The Kings. I have a video tape of a performance of the show that was aired on M-Net in 1997. I was eight years old at the time. I watched it every day for years, so much so that I could sing every song, dance every dance and say every piece of dialogue in the production. I didn’t know what I was watching, I never understood, but I knew I wanted to do it. Fast-forward to 2013, when I was in my final year at the Waterfront Theatre College. I was a dance major and at the time I wanted to be a dancer full-time. We went on a theatre tour to London in March of that year and that’s where I watched Wicked: The Musical at the Apollo Theatre. I was so moved by what I saw and fell in love with theatre all over again. It was when that familiar feeling hit me, that the spark was reignited and I knew being a part something as profound as theatre would be it for me.
What is your favourite aspect of the industry – be it specific people, parts of the production process, particular venues/locations, or something else?
I think any artist loves being on stage and loves being on screen, but for me it’s the rehearsal process. It’s the working towards the final product that is the best part for me. Whether that be choreographing, working on a musical and putting the pieces together, blocking out a scene before we shoot it or even stage managing. Anything behind the scenes probably excites me just as much as performing. It’s the build-up and seeing how the whole story or product fits together before the final product is released because anybody can love the final product but the process of getting there is what I feel is even more special.
What has been your scariest onstage/on-set moment so far (anything from forgetting words or cues to accidents or other unforeseen events)?
My scariest moment has to be the day that the zip of my dress broke during a quick change in David Kramer’s production of Langarm. I don’t know how it happened, I don’t know what happened but just as we were zipping it up the zip broke. Our wardrobe assistant was very quick on her feet! She got a needle and thread and was sewing me in as I was walking up the stairs and making my way onto stage. She literally finished the last stitch as I stepped into my lighting cue for my song. I have never been so scared in my life!
Tell us about your current production and what makes your character interesting to play?
Kittie is an interesting character because she tells it like it is and she isn’t afraid to call a spade a spade. Her longing for freedom is especially special to me because at some point all of us had that longing. For her, it is freedom from her circumstances, freedom from the fear of taking chances and making changes and also the fear of being forgotten. There is a line in one of her song where she says “Ek is die een wat agter bly” and it captures exactly what her story is. She feels left behind, not given the same opportunities and she feels stuck. But she also takes on the responsibility to tell the truth because she knows what’s right and what’s wrong in this story.
