From Bluff to bright lights

After a few years toiling away under the bright lights of Johannesburg, local Bluffite and award winning writer, director and actress Janna Ramos-Violante brings two shows to the Hilton Arts Festival this September.

Having grown up in the tightly-knit, coastal suburb of the Bluff, Janna was able to revel in both the close sense of community she experienced and the privilege of having the ocean on her doorstep. Her theatrical exploits startedfrom a very early age, as she was always certain she was going to an actress, and was thrilled to land her first memorable role as Tallulah in Bugsy Malone. By the tender age of 11, Janna was already touring to the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown as part of professional productions. Her mentor and still close friend Jean Van Elden, had a profound influence on Janna’s early acting development. “Jean took me under her wing from a very early age and exposed me to the performing arts in the most unbelievable way. ”

After schooling on the Bluff and studying drama at UKZN, Ramos-Violante spent a few years on the Durban theatre scene, steadily growing in reputation and repertoire. Now Janna is making waves in Johannesburg and is renowned for all three aspects of directing, writing and acting but finds it difficult to pick a favourite. “I value each of them equally and love all three in different ways, but if I am honest with myself, performing is my first true love and where I feel most at home, ” she said. The move to Johannesburg was prompted by the greater buzz of more directors and theatres and the desire for new horizons, “I wanted to spread my wings and expand my career. Johannesburg has lots of opportunities and that attracted me. ”

A highlight of Ramos-Violante’s career so far has been her production, ‘Doubt’. “Doubt has been a dream of mine for many years so seeing it have a life beyond Durban was very fulfilling.” It was during this production that Ramos-Violante met and worked with theatre doyen Fiona Ramsay. The two just clicked and will be working together on both shows at the Hilton festival this year. “We found a kindredness and sparked off each other immediately. She is a phenomenal actress and person and I have learnt a lot from her. ”

Ramos-Violante is very eager to be back at Hilton. “I absolutely love the Hilton Arts Festival and am beyond excited to be part of it this year. It is a brilliant festival with a range of top class theatre, hand-picked from all over the country.” A large portion of her excitement stems from performing in and co-directing Allan Bennet’s brilliant modern classic, Talking Heads, alongside Ramsay. Being at once darkly comic, tragically poignant and wonderfully uplifting, it must be a somewhat daunting piece to undertake. It explores recurring themes of self-deception and loneliness gently tempered with brilliant humour.

Ramos-Violante sees it as a pivotal moment in her career and can hardly believe she gets to perform it alongside Ramsay. She will also be directing Ramsay and Tony Bentel in The Old and the Beautiful, also on the bill at this year’s festival. Fresh from this year’s National Arts Festival in Grahamstown where it won a Standard Bank Ovation Award, the work is funny, subtle and humble with a sprinkling of self-deprecating pizzazz and a great deal of soul. Ramos-Violante says: “It was a special piece to create with these two theatre stalwarts. It’s full of truth and humanity which is how I believe theatre should be”.

On the calendar for Ramos-Violante after Hilton is Craig Higginson’s The Imagined Land, which she is performing in until the end of the year. 2016 kicks off for her in Cape Town where she will be performing alongside her good friend Emily Child, in a production of Contraction, directed by Greg Karvellas.

Catch Janna in Talking Heads on 19 and 20 September at 3pm and 2pm respectively and then her show The Old and the Beautiful will also be on 19 and 20 September at 8pm and 11.30am respectively. Check out www.hiltonfestival.co.za or call 033-383-0126 for more information.