Directing South Africa’s next generation

Telling the stories of others and teaching children the benefits of drama, one man puts his Greek Cypriot soul into all of it finds PAUL LAMBIS

Internationally hailed actor Renos Spanoudes firmly believes that drama and education go hand in hand. He has spent most of his life imparting his knowledge and expertise in dramatic arts to young talent, promoting the benefits of using drama in education.

Spanoudes’ impressive portfolio includes acting, television, theatre, film, writing, directing, radio and voice-over work, “however, there is nothing quite like the adrenalin of a live audience.”

His astonishing work is well known throughout South Africa, from his highly successful 2015 production Broken Plates, which offered a glimpse into the complexity of Greek identity in South Africa, blending a mix of history with tradition and the emotional baggage of the foreigner, to bringing to life the beleaguered existence of Dimitri Tsafendas, the man who killed the architect of apartheid.

“I bear an uncanny resemblance to Tsafendas, and his journey as an ‘othered’ individual resonated with me,” Spanoudes said.

Whether it comes to staging high-quality productions, celebrating theatre with his students at schools and universities by providing a platform for them to realise their dreams or patting himself on the back for being commissioned for a brief period by Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy to teach drama, he puts his Greek Cypriot soul into everything he does.

Born in Johannesburg in 1960 to Greek Cypriot parents who relocated to South Africa from Kyrenia and Larnaca in the late 1950s, Spanoudes always dreamed of returning to his ancestral home. “I was supposed to inherit my father’s house in Kyrenia, but sadly, the house was occupied by a Turkish general and his family after the invasion.”

Spanoudes’ talent for acting and singing caught the attention of his drama teacher as early as primary school, and it was a gift he intended to pursue full-time once he was old enough. “The challenge, however, was my parents’ concern regarding the insecurity associated with a career as an actor,” he said. “So, I opted to pursue a bachelor’s degree in education, a bachelor of arts degree in arts, and then a master’s degree in arts from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, which enabled me to teach, act, direct, produce, and write.”

Spanoudes recalls applying and being told by a woman at registration that his expectations were possibly too high after noticing on the form that his father was a café owner. “I’ve also been ‘othered’,” Spanoudes told the Cyprus Mail. “I was frequently referred to as a greasy Greek, and was chastised for growing a moustache to resemble my mother, or for my substandard football skills, as the only thing I was capable of doing when I got into the corner, was opening up a café.”

But it was those hurtful comments that prompted him to write his thesis on the 100-year history of the proverbial Greek café on the corner, which earned him the Hellenic Student of the Year Award.

Spanoudes’ credits include appearances in Fred Hageman’s Oh, What a Lovely War!, Harry Sideropoulos’ Stasie Leoforias, and other credible roles such as Hades in Helen of Troy, Mr Kraler in The Diary of Anne Frank, Buttons Papadopoulos from Pampoenfontein in Cinderella Pantomime, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, and Mr Pinky in Hairspray. “Working on and collaborating on my own writing, as well as performing my own solo shows, was an inevitable next step for me as I attempted to balance a career in education with a career in theatre.”

Spanoudes is the head of dramatic arts at King David Victory Park, a school renowned for its arts and culture, which includes music, dance, and visual art. “Learning drama at a young age can lead to a myriad of benefits such as increased confidence, creativity, improved communication skills, empathy, concentration, and encourages teamwork and collaboration.”

Every year, the school stages popular musical productions Spanoudes often performs alongside his students.

Outside school, Spanoudes believes in the universe sending him acting roles of significant people’s stories that need to be told.

His portrayal of Tsafendas in a one-man show depicting the assassin’s life from youth to his final moments, while offering an essay on the horrors of apartheid brutality. “It tells a story of adversity and humiliation, leaving the audience empowered and simmering with a sense of victory.

“I’ve also had the honour of being cast as Advocate George Bizos in Rivonia Trial, one of South Africa’s most famous political trials, which was staged at the State Theatre in 2010 and 2011.”

When asked if he prefers film or theatre, Spanoudes says that although he appreciates the process of viewing filmed scenes, theatre is “the beating of one’s heart alongside the beating of the hearts of the live audience.

“Theatre has energy to it because you’re in front of a live audience, you see and feel the reactions, you see the effect your work has in real-time and can feed off that.”

As a Greek Cypriot of the diaspora, Spanoudes maintains that questions of what and who he is are ever-present. “Whether it is culture, traditions, history, or religion, my identity is central to who I am as an individual. Diasporan stories fascinate me, and I enjoy mirroring the plays written by other Greeks and Cypriots in our global Hellenic family.”

In September he will be heading to Thessaloniki to present a paper on Dramatic Arts in Education, as well as to host two acting workshops featuring excerpts from his productions Living in Strange Lands in the role of Tsafendas, and Odyssey in the solo role of Greek-South African human rights lawyer Bizos. “I am also looking forward to visiting Cyprus next year to talk about my work at the upcoming Cyprus Diaspora Forum in March,” he added.