My name is Daniel Mpilo Richards. I am 25 years old. I am currently performing a one-man show called Pay Back the Curry which toured South Africa in 2016 and will continue to tour in 2017. To date I have done 95 performances of this show. Written by Mike Van Graan. Directed by Rob Van Vuuren. Produced by Siv Ngesi.
I was born in Switzerland on the 6th of December 1991. After travelling with my family we finally settled in Johannesburg. I was scouted to perform at the market theatre in grade 9 while I was still at school in Johannesburg. I moved to Cape Town with my family and tried to perform as much as I could at school – Westerford High School – whether it was doing an announcement, presentations or plays. There was always an element of performance involved in whatever I did. Since getting my Honours degree form UCT, I have performed in shows at festivals in Grahamstown, Zimbabwe, the Czech Republic and the USA. I am the owner of DMR Productions (Pty) Ltd and I am the creative director for the Ruben Richards Foundation, a non-profit organisation.
Did you study acting
The first time I performed on stage was in grade 9 for a one act play festival – which was horrifying. I had learnt the whole script and mouthed the show while I was on stage until it was my line. I took part in a school play after that, having learnt a few hard lessons about being on stage. I was then asked to audition for a show at the market theatre – Lord of the Flies. I got the part and spent 6 weeks in rehearsals and 8 weeks performing in the Barney Simon theatre. I fell in love with performance, acting and the theatre world during that show. I went on get my Honors degree in theatre and performance at the University of Cape Town.
DIe Glas Ennie Draad (Daniel Mpilo Richards)
What acting technique do you use
My acting technique varies from production to production because I like to adapt to different processes. Doing theatre and film can also be very different processes. I primarily use Stanislavski’s approach to acting. Stanislavski emphasizes getting to know your character from inside out. Connecting with the emotions of the person you are going to become and then working on the physicality and vocal characterization of that person second.
How do you keep fit as an actor
I exercise 5 times a week. I am a member of City Bowl Fitness, which is owned by Nicholas Caracandus (head coach) and has amazing coaches like Kate Vos and Astrid Schwarz. On the weekend I enjoy running or hiking with my girlfriend. Staying mentally fit is always a challenge in the entertainment industry. Staying mentally fit, i personally have to keep varying the way i achieve this. For example, enjoying a hike or enjoying nature is one way. I free-write regularly, read, play soccer with friends and find different ways to express myself creatively without the pressure to succeed – playing guitar, Capoeria, beach days. I see a psychologist regularly. People often assume that you only see a psychologist when there is something wrong. I use my psychology sessions to maintain my mental and emotional fitness and to destress.
How do you prepare for a role
Prior to the rehearsal process, I like to do research about the role I’m playing and the play or film I’m going to be doing. Research is vital in understanding the context and information within the text. Sometimes I watch how previous actors have interpreted the role I’m about to play or i research similar characters in other shows or films in preparation for my role. Through my studies and training i have learnt that it is vitally important to constantly refer back to your script. Often, you think you know something but when you look at it again, you’ve changed so much of the text into your own words. I do a thorough text analysis in preparation for a role and continue to do so throughout the rehearsal process.
How do you stay fresh on set
Staying fresh on a production set is relative to the role you are playing. For example, i played the role of a Capoeira dancer in Honey 3 and to stay fresh I had to keep stretching, stay warm and keep hydrated. With character based roles, like in the South African feature film – Jonny is Nie Dood Nie – if the shot was quick and the time between takes were short, I would stay in character by keeping to myself and conserving my energy.
Describe a memorable character you played
There are so many! I played 23 characters in a one-man show called Pay Back The Curry and i wish i could mentioned all of them! But I would have to describe three characters i played in a show i co-wrote with a friend called Die Glas Ennie Draad. Characters names: Rob, Saliem and Draad. 2015. interchanging between these three characters was particularly memorable because it was challenging and interesting. The characters i played had to be significantly different. They had to talk, walk, look and think differently from one another which took a lot of time to develop and begin to master. Having to interpret characters i created alongside a friend was also very exciting and daunting. Rob, the psychologist character i played, was more formal in his dialect, foreign to his environment and out of his element a bit. These things played a role in shaping the way he moved around the room and how he reacted to different sounds and comments by the gangster he was counselling. The character of Saliem was older and heavier. He therefore had to walk slower and more carefully. Saliem was a ghost figure and memory in the play so he had to have a different voice quality to the other characters. Draad was also a metaphorical character who was the gangster inside the real gangsters head. Draad’s gestures and physicality was more fluid and spontaneous.
Pay Back The Curry (Daniel Mpilo Richards)
Explain one creative choice you took on set
For the example I’m going to give, I wouldn’t say I interpreted direction because I was given the instruction to do anything. This was for a BMW ad where I had to do Capoeira in-front of a moving carnival, see the X5 and gesture in appreciation. The gesture had to be something unique to me so I didn’t think about it much, I just connected with the feeling of seeing something amazing and gesturing to it in appreciation.
What do you want most from a director
Honesty
What do you want most from a director
The open-mindedness to develop chemistry on stage.
What advice would you give to actors
Respect every character you become and portray on stage or in-front on the camera. If you don’t, no-one else will. Play your characters with dignity, pride and assurance knowing that you are giving this character everything you have. Keep fighting for what you believe in and always believe in yourself. If you follow your passion you will Live Your Dream because living your dream is a process and not the end result.
Briefly write about your career
So far, i have done over 30 different theatre productions, 5 adverts, 2 movies, 2 television series and various other performances that include corporate stand-up comedy, music performances and performance art. Every production i have done has shaped me, forced me to learn new skills and adapt and re-learn other skills. I am a professional creative who prides himself on his versatility. I am an actor, writer, dancer, singer and musician. I have performed in festivals in Grahamstown, Zimbabwe, the Czech Republic and the USA. In January/ February 2016 i will be doing my third consecutive Shakespeare in the park, maynardville production.
Performing Shakespeare and doing the Fugard Productions musical, West Side Story, has taught me the very valuable lesson of consistency. I played Richmond in Richard III and Lodovico in Othello. The performance stamina one needs for Shakespeare is incomparable. I played the role of Chino in West Side Story and danced on a fractured foot for a month. Doing these productions have moulded me into the fit actor i am today. But i do not recommend dancing on a fractured foot.
I did a show called the Titanic Orchestra, directed by Christopher Weare. I had to play an alcoholic magician. Chris, my director, helped me see how specific and precise performing a drunk person has to be because even though the drunk person seems out of control, the actor has to be 100% in control. I took this principle forward into all my work and made sure every performance, regardless of what it was, was performed with the utmost precision and specificity.
I have done a number of shows directed by Sandra Temmingh, the latest being the show I co-wrote, Die Gals Ennie Draad. Sandra has always emphasised honesty on stage and respecting your character. Two principles that I will never forget in my career.
I recently performed Milktrain, directed by Fred Abrahamse, at the Tennessee Wiliams Theatre Festival in Provincetown, USA. In this play, I played the character of Blackie, a vassar-girl with an asian bob. I re-learnt the value of observation because I had to observe various woman to become one. Secondly, I discovered the art of quiet confidence and presence on stage through playing this reserved woman.
Finally, the hardest lesson I have had to learn in a production was doing a one-man satirical comedy written by Mike Van Graan called Born Free. I had to perform by myself on stage for an hour and communicate satirical views on the state of the South African nation. The lesson I learnt was to trust myself, my skills and my experience thus far because there was no-one else I could rely on. I was alone on stage. That experience has made me incredibly confident and fearless.
