Humility, rhythm and truthful storytelling matter more than gimmicks in acting, according to veteran actor Bheki Mkhwane.

He spoke after facilitating the Alex Theatre Company and Academy’s Homecoming Masterclass Theatre Workshop at Alex SanKopano on September 26, hosted by the organisation as part of its Homecoming Programme. The quarterly initiative is for artists aged 16 to 30 and runs until February 2027.

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Artistic director Archie Oupa Matsetela said the programme puts established performers in direct contact with emerging talent, hoping to reach about 270 participants across nine workshops. “It is also to show that if you are from Alexandra, or you have roots in Alexandra, it is possible to have a career in performing arts,” Matsetela said, adding that it takes years of training, discipline and mastering the skill.

With more than four decades in the industry, Mkhwane said he does not see himself as someone who has mastered the craft. “You will never master art until you die, you keep learning. That is why I am saying I am not here to teach, I am sharing my experience with the young ones, so that they guide their own journey,” he said.

Participants worked through exercises, including a ball-passing drill to build communication, timing and focus. “Teaching is about sharing, and the simple act of passing the ball teaches them how to share,” Mkhwane said. His advice was to slow down, noting that performance is not about rushing, but finding the rhythm and creating a rhythm of working together.

Matsetela said workshops like these are essential. “You need these kinds of workshops so that you can sharpen your skill. Acting has basics. There are certain techniques that you have to learn,” he said.

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The idea of a self-taught actor does not work, he added, even for performers with large online followings, who must be humble enough to go back to the basics. Mkhwane agreed. “If you are humble enough, creativity sits with you,” he said.

Mkhwane said he is helping young performers portray their people truthfully, without gimmicks. “The challenge we face as actors is to play our people truthfully. Be our people,” he said.

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