Theatre Interview: Andre Odendaal – Bitter Winter, Or One For The Ages

January 25, 2025

 

By BRUCE DENNILL

 

Paul Slabolepszy‘s new play Bitter Winter, which pays poignant tribute to South African Theatre, will premier at Pieter Toerien’s Studio Theatre at Montecasino in February. Slabolepszy, the recent recipient of a Naledi Lifetime Achievement Theatre Award for his work in Theatre, is one of South Africa’s most revered playwrights, known for his character-driven stories that speak to the human condition, with a body of work that resonates both locally and internationally. Directed by Lesedi Job (Brutal Legacy) and produced by Weslee Lauder, this production stars Andre Odendaal, Oarabile Ditsele and Chantal Stanfield. Bitter Winter offers a heartfelt exploration of the artist’s life. It celebrates the legends of South African theatre while shining a light on the new generation of rising stars making their mark on the global stage.

Odendaal talks about his role in the play.

 

In the lead-up to a new production, how do you prepare: physically, mentally and emotionally?

When I get the script I usually read it a couple of times. Then I have a few discussions with the writer and also the director so as to get a complete understanding of the story and how my character fits into the greater context. This is also part of starting to build a complete backstory that informs the characters vocal and physical temperature: how he stands, sits, walks, breathes and so on. Those are all at first connected to the brain – an understanding of who this person is. Then from that, the character’s physicality has to be involved, which usually goes hand in hand with, “Where is Andre at this point in his life in relation to his body?” Should the character be thinner or fatter? In the instance of Bitter Winter, the character is older than me and also in a very difficult stage of his life than I am personally, so observation and research – whether it’s observing other people or drawing from personal experience becomes vital. All of this then gets incorporated once we are on the floor, into an internal space where I connect everything with the emotion – feeling, listening and working with what I have in front of me. That can be other actors, props, the space…

 

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!”?

When I was about 10, I went to the Safari Movie Theatre close to our house. Every Saturday I watched many movies, and funnily enough Bruce Lee was my first acting inspiration. At 14, I started going to theatre regularly and saw many, many wonderful performances. I honestly can’t single out one but what I can say is that most of Al Pacino’s performances have left me speechless.

 

What is your favourite aspect of the industry – be it specific people, parts of the production process, particular venues/locations or something else?

My favourite aspect of the industry is and will always be the actor – in fact, the people in general, including on location making a film, be it acting or
directing. It’s about getting to know the people behind the story.

 

What is an aspect of the industry that you feel could be improved (even if that’s only an idealistic wish)?

I think there is a lot in our industry, especially at the moment, and that needs to change. We need to strive more for excellence and less for “how fast and how cheap”. This allows for mediocrity, which is never a good idea, creatively or financially. Mentorship and coaching is essential – just look at what sport is achieving because of proper collaboration.

 

What has been your scariest onstage or on set moment so far (anything from forgetting words or cues to accidents or other unforeseen events)?

I directed a television show where the young lady doing sound had an epileptic seizure – for 30 minutes! It was a deeply disturbing episode
for me.

 

Tell us about your current production, and what makes your character interesting to play?

Bitter Winter is a huge challenge because not only is the character older than me, but he’  also in a very different place in terms of life and lifestyle. Although there are defining aspect that I can relate to, he is physically and emotionally at the end of his life. Working with a new script is always exciting, as one has no reference to anyone else having ever done the play before. Pioneering  a new character is always a special challenge. You have to invent from scratch. It’s difficult but exciting, and when you are with a director, a producer and a team that is supportive and excellent, one feels safe in order to create effortlessly.

 

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