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Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
FOUR years after she left her famous role as Wandile on Generations: The Legacy, celebrated Zimbabwean actress Chi Mhende is set to walk in a man’s shoes once again, only this time it will be on stage, as she features on the South African rendition of the Shakespearean play, a Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Mhende’s career has grown in leaps and bounds south of the Limpopo, where she first caught the eye on SABC1’s Generations: The Legacy, playing Wandile Radebe, a transgender woman. Since then, Mhende has continued to scale new heights, appearing on high profile theatre productions while making an appearance on Queen Sono, Netflix’s debut production in Africa.
She also clinched a directorial role on Generations, the show that gave her the much-needed big break in Mzansi television. Despite this, Mhende has always maintained that theatre is her first love, hence her decision to take a role in Midsummer Night’s Dream in year that will mark 10 years since she stepped on stage.
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Chi Mhende
In an interview on SABC’s Afternoon Express, Mhende said although she had played a man before in her career, she was eager to tackle her new role as every character she portrayed was different.
“Traditionally, the actress that plays Titania in a Midsummer Night’s Dream is always the actress who also plays the queen, Hippolyta, while Oberon and Theseus are played by the same actor. This year Jeff Hyland, has switched it up with a gender bender and once again I will be in the space of performing as a man, as the king of the fairies, I will be playing Oberon. I don’t get used to it because every man and woman is different, and so trying to get into the mind and body of a different person every time is a different experience,” she said.
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Chi Mhende
Despite the fact that she has gone on to enjoy success elsewhere in her career, Mhende said most people still identified her as Wandile on the streets of Mzansi.
“It happened in the kitchen with the ladies when I arrived. It’s quite interesting and I feel very lucky that my work has taken me into spaces where conversations about social justice take place and it’s the same thing that will happen now hence the 10-year-mark,” she said.
Mhende said she was excited in particular about her return to Cape Town, a city she regards as her favourite. Cape Town’s classical open air theatre experience in Maynardville Park, Wynberg, is back this summer after a three-year hiatus and is now under the management of award-winning entertainment production company VR Theatrical (Jaco van Rensburg and Wessel Odendaal).
The Maynardville Open Air Theatre Festival season is always a summer highlight and has in recent years come to include more than just the traditional Shakespeare play, with a full line-up of classics under the stars. VR Theatrical is keeping this expanded seasonal format, blending Shakespeare with classical concerts across the genres.
“This year I am back in Cape Town, my first South African love, I am so sorry to all the other provinces, I am so sorry to Johannesburg because I love you but I am back in Cape Town, back to revive Maynardville for all the for all the summer festival lovers and in the middle of summer. For the first time, I will be returning after 10 years to do a Midsummer Night’s Dream,” she said.
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Chi Mhende
Mhende said she felt that this new role would be a start of the process of building her own legacy, as she felt she had been thrust into leadership by working with a relatively young cast.
“I am particularly excited about this year’s Maynardville because Jeff Hyland has brought fresh, out of University of Cape Town graduates, to feel like the leader of the pack is quite exciting and I really hope that some of the work that I am stepping into now speaks to the rest of my own legacy,” she said.
Of the return of Maynardville, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra CEO, Louis Heyneman said, “For several years until Covid-19 brought artistic performances to a standstill, the CPO was an integral part of the Maynardville Festival, offering the joy of superb accessible music for the enjoyment of diverse and packed audiences.
We are delighted to be bringing one of the most glorious works to life not only in music but in adding to the evening’s entertainment a selection of quotes from the works of the bard. We know you will enjoy what lies ahead.”