A 12-year-old boy from Big Bay has landed a part in a hit musical.
Oswald Pieterse, a Grade 7 pupil at the Blouberg International School, plays the younger version of Lola in Kinky Boots, which is on at the Fugard Theatre until the end of October.
His mother, Avril Pieterse, says Oswald from a young age”had a natural gift for performing.”
He was just 5 when he took to the stage at his elder sister’s Western Province dance competitions, and Avril recalls that he looked like he was home.
Oswald sings, dances, act and does acrobatics. He enjoys playing basketball and watches YouTube videos to teach himself flips and acrobatic tricks.
We have a good music programme at school and that’s where I realised I could sing,” he says. At school, he studies vocal training.
He got top honours at the Eisteddfod in 2017, and last year he came second out of 40 children at the DanceStar competition, where he did hip-hop dancing and qualified to compete in Croatia.
He played the lead role of Simba in his school’s production of The Lion King and he was also in Little Shop of Horrors.
He is a member of the Lmri Academy of Dance. “This year, my dance teacher told us about Kinky Boots and said we should try it out. There were nine other kids auditioning for the role and I was surprised and excited I got the role,” says Oswald. Avril says she’s very proud that Oswald has taught himself so much of what he knows. “He is quite a good actor, considering that he has never gone to school for it. He is self-taught.”
Oswald says the auditions took six weeks and he had to leave school early for rehearsals but it has all been worth it.
To prepare for the show, he says, he makes sure to get lots of rest. And he practises in front of the mirror and does vocal exercises and yoga.
“What keeps me going is the support of my family.
“I would love to get into movies one day because I love acting and I think I can do that with my life. I hope to get into more productions so that I can get more experience.”
