Vroeë Afrikaans gets thumbs up

Zach Botha delivered a music-based performance at La Chateau Guesthouse in Terenure.

The turnout was what he had aimed for – a full house.

Botha said the performance went well.

“In acting, the most vital moment of any performance is before you start. It sets the tone for how everything will proceed. Once you get through that moment and start, the nerves settle,” he said.

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He said some performers do simple voice and body warm-ups to get their heads in the correct space. However, he focuses on moving his body, being vocal with his voice and, if there is a prop or an instrument, playing around with it to get as comfortable with the object as possible.

“You rehearsed to perform, and in most cases, you are ready to. It is just the moment before you start that is the most nerve-wracking.

“And it should be smooth sailing once you start”.

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The audience was attentive when Zach performed.

He performed stories written 200 years ago in the vocabulary and pronunciation of Vroeë Afrikaans, so he was worried there could be parts the audience might not completely understand.

“Mind you, performing old poetry, letters and plays older than 100 years requires the same rehearsal principles that Shakespearean plays would require.

“I also ensured to educate the audience a bit about each story, each problem the characters were trying to overcome, and sometimes a little information as to why it is Vroeë Afrikaans, and not Dutch,” he said.

He said everything went the way he imagined.

The audience understood about 95% of what he presented.

“The stories were funny and relatable, and the audience had lots of conversations afterwards about stories their grandparents and great-grandparents had told them in the past.

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“I will do more Vroeg Gesproke Africaansch shows.”

Botha said his next performance will still be a mixture of performances with the guitar and explanation of the stories, but he would like to add more stories and characters and do it in costume.

“This was a challenging, albeit rewarding year. I went to Russia to film a contemporary Russian theatre documentary.

“I joined the local Business Network International Highflyers chapter in Kempton Park, and my show was a success.”

Next year, we can expect the first draft of his documentary, more Vroeg Gesproke Africaansch shows, and the launch of his first acting workshop, where he will teach acting.

“Hopefully, by the end of next year, it won’t just be me who performs Vroeg Gesproke Africaansch, but maybe an acting troupe who performs 1800s SA stories, poetry, letters and plays,” he said.