Article by Felex Badza
This week’s Actor of the Week goes to Barileng Thato Malebye for her various roles on the Market Theatre play, The Red On The Rainbow. Malebye’s stage presence and her storytelling techniques brought authentic South African storytelling to the space. She used lokshin story-narrations we see in everyday society, imitation of the character you are telling the story about.
The Red in the Rainbow is primarily inspired by recent real-life events in Coligny, the play follows the aftermath of the death of a young man on a maize farm at the hands of a farmer’s son and his friends. The play explores how time seems to remain frozen, picture style, in an unending apartheid-ghost-dance. How with each dreary step into the future, reality seems to loop, stoop and Reloop, forever trapping the amper- people of these towns in a cartoonish and feverish attempt to leap into the much-lauded blissful change that our country’s simunye moment is said to have unleashed for all.
In this play, Malebye narrates and perfoms the role of Japi a drug addict who is a murder witness! She uses vocal transitions, physical transition & breathing control to pace herself and remain in character.
Malebye’s advice when asked about how actors build stamina for long high energy shows. She said, “pace yourself.”
In Malebye’s performances one could clearly see those moments of rest. Whenever she would retreat from character to “standby” actor, she would still be extremely present on stage, but she took moments to be still and control her breath for the next character or narration.
Another example of this was through her character choices. Her main character Japi was a physically and mentally demanding character as he was going through withdrawal symptoms. Which required Malebye to reenact withdrawal sweats, shakes and mental distress, while testifying to a witnessed murder.
As Japi required so much physical and mental strength, Malebye’s other characters did not. Her other characters were more rooted in accent and a shift in stature. Meaning whenever she goes into those characters, she found moments to breath and rest for Japi (the high energy role). Therefore not loosing her momentum and authenticity in her performance
Barileng was in full control of her body and performance. Three cheers to you!
