By BRUCE DENNILL
KickstArt Theatre‘s Puss In Boots is set on a magical Caribbean island and follows a quick-witted feline hero on a playful adventure filled with colourful characters, lively songs and plenty of audience participation. The production is designed to delight younger audiences with slapstick and spectacle while offering humour and local references that adults can enjoy just as much. Written and directed by Steven Stead and designed by Greg King, the show brings together a strong cast including Rory Booth as the booted hero, Belinda Henwood as the good fairy Calypso Honeybunch and Bryan Hiles as the villainous Grimbsy Withergood. This is will be the first time that Steven Stead’s Puss in Boots will be seen in Cape Town at the Baxter Theatre. It has previously been staged at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City, and twice in Durban since it was first premiered there in 2015.
Booth talks about his involvement in the show.
In the lead-up to a new production, how do you prepare:
– Physically…
Physically, it is important to be stronger than the character you’re playing. Puss in Boots is agile, energetic and a strong tenor voice. I ensure that I’m in the gym at least five days a week with a mix of strength training and cardio. Vocal training is every day, and includes daily steaming and yoga to relax muscles that support vocal ability. A street routine that is designed just for the show is important to avoid any unnecessary injury.
– Mentally…
Mentally, I think a mental ritual develops from the rehearsal phase into the performance. This can be little things that turn into something familiar and comforting during and building up to the performance. It can be things like keeping your prop in a certain place, sipping your tea at a certain time or taking a specific route to get to your next entrance. These mental cues are there to create a sense of reassurance and flow when performing.
– …and emotionally?
Emotional prep? When you enter the theatre, you leave your emotions at the door unless it’s going to improve your performance. If I had to comment on the emotional prep of Puss In Boots, then his emotional prep is making those innocent cute kitty eyes at the mirror before heading to stage for an impressive sword fight!
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 no single performance. I’ve always known that I wanted to entertain people. I first performed There’s A Hole In My Bucket to a packed community hall at my pre-school concert and the crowds thought it was hilarious because I screamed every line into the microphone. It was on that day that I realised that being an entertainer is what I was destined to do. If I had to choose a show that inspires me every time I watch, it would be The Lion King.
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 part of the industry is the audience I perform to – they are the most important people; the ones who have paid good money to see me perform. Secondly, I’d say one of my favourite things is what goes on backstage with my colleagues – the behind-the-scenes play and banter that goes on during the show.
What is an aspect of the industry that you feel could be improved (even if that’s only an idealistic wish)?
Perhaps some people will come for me for this but I don’t care. There has been much talk about what’s been going on in our industry of late. Big producers are putting on musicals and sometimes world tours by hiring inexperienced, straight-out-of-college performers who are willing to accept and work for a pay grade that no artist can survive on. It’s things like this that are killing the sustainability of an arts career and it leaves the artists who have been in the game for a while rethinking if this is all worth it. This, paired with industry nepotism, casting talent based on social media following and state theatres remaining under-utilised for a large portion of the year, weighs heavy on the theatre industry as a whole. My wish is for a Sports, Arts and Culture to be separated at government level. We need our own minister and we need artists to speak up – don’t be scared!
What has been your scariest on stage moment so far (anything from forgetting words or cues to accidents or other unforeseen events)?
I think back on them now and what was then scary is now funny. During our opening performance of Jack And The Beanstalk, I was so nervous that I opened the door the wrong way onto stage. It jammed and I had to crawl out because my song had started. My most recent accident happened off-stage, running to get to a quick-change. There was a prop in my way and because I was running at such a speed, I could not avoid it, and jumped up. In the momentum of the jump, my head hit the doorframe, I fell on my back and my metal microphone whacked me in the mouth and chipped my teeth. I had a mild concussion but still went back on stage and delivered a part of the show I had already performed. I eventually came round but the audience was nice enough to laugh with me.
Tell us about your upcoming production, the role you will be playing and what makes your character interesting to play?
Puss In Boots is a family pantomime jam-packed with fun and games, comedy and adventure, popular songs and the cutest Spanish cat version of Zorro you’ll ever see! I play the title role and it is my third time reprising my role as the beloved Puss In Boots. The production takes inspiration from Puss In Boots as he appears in Shrek – the unmistakable Antonio Banderas voice, dry but sharp humour and crazy cat stims that makes this iconic character come alive onstage. Growing up, I loved watching Antonio Banderas in Zorro – I wished that one day I would get to do something like that. I think my wish is coming true. I love playing this role because its difficulty level is high – the role is physically demanding and requires comedic skill. The costume is also no walk in the park – there are many elements that make it up and it is sealed in with intricate make-up that transforms me into the world’s most famous feline. I love playing roles that make people laugh – roles where you can play and be silly. It’s what the world will always need.