Interview with Pauline Malefane

Pauline Malefane is a woman of many talents. The award-winning actress, screenwriter, opera singer and musical director was the first black African singer to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as well as appearing as a feature soloist at the BBC Proms in 2006. She was last seen in London in 2007/8 as part of Isango Portobello Theatre Company‘s The Magic Flute, which played at both the Young Vic and Duke of York Theatre.  Based in Cape Town, the company predominantly draws performers from across the townships surrounding the city and specialise in re-imagining classics from the Western theatre canon; finding a new context for the stories within an African setting. Their latest production The Mysteries will be playing in the West End this autumn and Pauline took some time out to tell Catch a Vibe all about it.

Pauline Malefane (Deus) with angels – (c) Ruphin Coudyzer

CAV: So first of all, can you just tell us a bit about what The Mysteries is all about?
Pauline Malefane: The Mysteries is a script and it’s based on the text The Mystery Plays, the medieval plays, and basically it’s the Bible.  Obviously we’re not doing the whole Bible – we don’t want people to sit in the theatre for 24 hours – so we’re doing scenes from the Bible. It starts with the creation and it ends with the death – the crucifixion. In between you have scenes like Adam and Eve, The Fall of Lucifer, Cain and Abel, Noah and the birth of Jesus Christ…then later on you have Jesus and his disciples, so it’s basically the Bible.

CAV: In The Mysteries, you play the characters of both God and Jesus. Do you feel it was a controversial move to cast these roles to a woman?
Pauline Malefane: Most people would like a debate around that, but I really do not think it’s an issue. Obviously there are people who are not for the idea and there are people who are quite pleased. Personally I think it brings – the fact that God is a woman – it brings a different face to God, a softer face if you like. God is known as this frightening person; not really a person but a being with an overwhelming power. So it’s nice to actually say to people, God has a soft side as well. He might not be a woman, as much as he might not be a man, but if you want him to be a mother to you, God will be a mother to you. So it’s basically cementing the fact that God can both be a mother and a father figure depending on which one you want. People would like to make a huge intelligent debate… but we have to look at it in a simple way as well, because this is a theatre play and as much as you would like people to learn from it, you also want people to be entertained…The way we do the show is to simplify the stories so that people can understand them and can identify with them…Also the thing that is closest to use, for me, is the fact that God and Jesus are one thing. He might be Mary’s son biologically but God and Jesus, I would like to think, are one person.

The Midwives – (c) Ruphin Coudyzer

CAV: So what are your personal views on the Bible and biblical stories?
Pauline Malefane: I think it works for me. It depends on one’s understanding of the Bible… When I do not understand I try and find a way of understanding. Obviously there are things in the Bible that confuse me and things that I think no one will give answers to, but it was how I was brought up – church and God and ancestors go together. Your ancestors look after you but who gives the ancestors the power to look after you? Iit’s God. I grew up in an environment where I had to go to church and Sunday school so I am a Christian. I am not a born again Christian because as I said before I have my reservations about other things in the Bible itself… but that would be a totally different interview.

CAV: You were last in the UK when you were part of the Olivier award-winning production The Magic Flute, are you looking forward to coming back to London?
Pauline Malefane: I always look forward to coming back to London; it’s such a fantastic city.I love the honesty [of theatre critics] and I love the culture of theatre which we are really lacking back here [in South Africa]. I don’t know if there are more than five theatres here [in South Africa]but I know that in London itself, there are hundreds of theatres. People respect theatre; they respect their artists which is something that I can’t really say fully, or take pride in, when I talk about my own country. But it is part of our mission as a company to bring more people into theatres. So when you come to London you are not worried that people are not going to come and see your show; people are going to come and see your show and they are going to tell you exactly what they think about the show! They are going to be honest about whether they like it or not.

CAV: How does a London audience compare with other audiences around the world?
Pauline Malefane: …Personally, I feel that [the London] audience is quite warm. You really feel that you are in the theatre and that people are really listening and not judging you. They are really listening and enjoying it, or not enjoying it – it doesn’t really matter.

The Mysteries Yiimimangalisow – (c) Ruphin Coudyzer

CAV: Finally, why should people come and see The Mysteries?
Pauline Malefane: If people have seen our last shows, obviously they would want to come and see this one. We have not disappointed people with the shows we have brought to London and so I’m sure most people would want to come and see it. People who have never seen us or our shows: it’s young people, it’s fresh, it’s people who have a vision, people who have dreams, and it’s people who are aspiring to be world actresses and actors and so they show it in their performances every day. We live our work and we take pride in the fact that we workshop our productions so that each and every member has [their own] ideas in the plays itself. So its fun, it’s sad at times, but yyou will really enjoy it.

THE MYSTERIES – YIIMIMANGALISO opens at the Garrick Theatre on the 11th September and runs until the 3rd October
Ticket prices start at £20 and you can book by calling the box office on 0844 412 4662
For more information on the show and the company please see the websites www.themysteries.com or www.portobellopictures.com