One-person acts delight

It was a wonderful initiative that saw many great actors offering their finest skills for the festival and they definitely impressed their audiences. One of the plays on offer at the Wits Theatre was Verwoerd’s Assassin; a play described by the actor himself as “a hard watch”.

Verwoerd’s Assassin is a play performed by Renos Spanoudes which is based on the true story of Dimitri Tsafendas, who assassinated former Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd.

The story and testaments of Tsafendas – used by Renos in the play – contribute to the highly sad and emotional nature of it. At the time, Renos was only 6 years old and, being Greek, his family was forced to close down their café for the day. This memory stuck with him until much later in his life.

“When I saw a photograph of him I got a fright, because there were distinct similarities between himself and the Greek assassin,” explained Renos. It was then that Renos decided he had to play a role as Tsafendas.

The most intriguing part of the play was not how Renos got into the mind of the killer ,and excellently interpreted and showcased his delicate mental and emotional state, but rather how Renos provided insight into his life after the killing and was even able to create sympathy within the audience for a murderer; Tsafendas.

The play is a must-watch! Hopefully it will be back on at the Wits Theatre very soon.