Hiles is back on stage for festive panto

BRYAN Hiles has become synonymous with Durban’s charming children’s pantos. He returns to the stage this season in Jack and the Beanstalk as Cecil The “baddie” from Robin Hood.

The energetic performer and designer, will be busy over the festive season performing in two shows, and he is designing a third. The first is KickstArt’s Jack and the Beanstalk, the glorious family panto at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre where he plays a hapless crook, Cecil and the second is Criss Cross Christmas – a delightful family show at The Zone at Suncoast. He is also designing the set and props for the saucy adult panto, Romeo and Juliet- an East Coast Story which is at The Zone at Suncoast over the festive season.

For the last decade, Hiles has played Buttons in Cinderella, Tom True Shot in Snow White, Huckleby Hopscotch the court jester in Sleeping Beauty, Wishy Washy in Aladdin and Cessil in Robin Hood.

Born in Pietermaritzburg, Hiles spent most of his life growing up in East London but moved to Durban to study Drama at the then Natal Tech. After graduating he moved to Johannesburg for nearly six months where he did “ads, castings and a lot of waiting around.”

“I got a call to return to Durban to perform in Hamlet, which was the matric set book and have been doing it every year since,” he said.

Bryan only discovered a few years later that his father wasn’t initially happy about his career choice, but luckily his dad supported him anyway and is now his biggest fan. “He was worried that I’ll be a starving actor and hoped I would choose psychology instead, but he has been to every show and sometimes rides from East London just to surprise me and see the show.”

Hiles started performing at a young age in church and school plays, however when a touring children’s theatre company visited East London to do auditions for Hans Christian Anderson plays, his fate was sealed. “Our school play director asked me to audition, I was about 18 at the time and still deciding what I wanted to be. I got the part and that was the deciding factor. I realised this is what I want to do!”

Today he is one of Durban’s most recognisable comedy performers. Looking forward to getting back on stage with many of his friends, Hiles said of panto, “It’s hard work but so much of fun. It’s going to be hot but the show is going to be hotter!”

Hiles said it was the magic of the entire package that keeps him coming back and also exposes new people to theatre. “Greg King is a genius with the set, but it is a well cast show with people that understand the genre and work well together. Panto is very specific but there is precision in the silliness so it doesn’t look messy.

“It is going to be the best show yet and one for kids, families and people that want to have a great experience.”

Q and A

1. The highlight of your year so far (and why)?

It’s been a quiet year performance-wise, with Othello, 39 Steps and now Jack and the Beanstalk.

2. What is your favourite Durban restaurant and local leisure activity.

It’s a toss up between Unity, Spiga and Julio. I love good spicy hot foods. Making stuff is my thing, I have a small workshop and enjoy working with my hands.

3. The movie you most enjoyed this year?

I don’t go to the movies often but went to see RIPD which was very silly and great fun.

4. The album currently in your CD player – and why?

I have a mix which I made myself of Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright and Burlesque Super Group, I am not a fan of pop but everything else: Indie, rock and classic music.

5. Favourite food?

Anything hot, so it could be Portugese, Indian, or Thai curry and I also love a good pasta.

6. How do you keep fit?

Just by keeping busy and I ride my bike to rehearsals everyday.

7. What three things make South Africa great?

People, weather and the country itself, it is beautiful with such a variety of landscape and vegetation.

8. The word or phrase you most overuse?

Kiff or Kief which I say when something is good, it’s a tribute to old slang.

9. What is one thing about yourself that you’d love to change?

I’d love to do more, stop putting things off perhaps travelling and start sailing. I used to sail as a boy but haven’t since I got to Durban.

10. Where did you celebrate your last birthday?

I spent my last birthday here, at home, with some friends, we were supposed to have a picnic but had to bring it indoors because of the rain.

11. What would be your dream holiday?

It would be a long hike at Fish River Canyon or the Klipspringer Trail. I love the beauty of nature.

12. What inspires you?

I’m inspired by a lot of my friends when I watch them on stage and regular people doing amazing things.

13. What do you love, and your pet hates?

Love – Food, and I just love life, the idea of living through the challenges.

Hate – Durban drivers, they’re getting worse, intolerance and bad takeaway.

14. What was the funniest or most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you on stage?

When I did the adult panto once, Snow White got her lines bobbled and I went blank, didn’t know what to say so just said “I’m speechless” and that got her speechless too but luckily they realised so immediately got to our song and it was all good.

15. What is at the top of your bucket list?

Climb Kilimanjaro and take a bike trip from the tip of Africa to Europe riding along Alaska passing South America.

16. Is there anything shocking most people don’t know about you?

I have my Springbok colours for Hip Hop dancing. While in Johannesburg I was asked to do a tap dance class and enjoyed it so much I started the hip hop class. Within a month I was asked to join them in a local competition which we won. After a national competition we were asked to go to Germany for the international championship and we were given our colours and tracksuits because we were representing SA.