Shaleen Surtie-Richards Back in the role of Fiela in FIELA SE KIND at Emperors Palace

Lefra Productions is bringing a stage adaptation of Dalene Matthee's classic South African novel, FIELA SE KIND, to the Theatre of Marcellus at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg this June. Adapted by Suzanne van Wijk, the production is produced and directed by Frans Swart, who has also reworked the text for this new production.

God forgives many things, but God never forgives us the wrong we do to a child. In FIELA SE KIND, a coloured woman, Fiela Komoetie, raises her white foundling, Benjamin, with love and pride for nine years until the day the census takers take him away. In the forest on the other side of the mountain lives Elias van Rooyen, a woodcutter, and his wife, Barta, who lost their three-year-old son, Lukas nine years ago. Could Benjamin and Lukas be the same child? As an adult, the young man struggles with the same question. He has to find out, or the woman he loves can never be his. He knows that there is an answer, somewhere within himself, hidden deep within the past.

Swart has produced FIELA SE KIND twice before, in 1997 and 2007, and he and Dalene Matthee became great friends before she died. Commenting on his history with the piece, he says:

With this production of FIELA SE KIND, we would also like to pay homage to Dalene Matthee - one of South Africa's most talented authors. During one of our rehearsals in those days, Dalene brought me a copy of FIELA SE KIND - inside she had written: FIELA IS IN GOOD HANDS! DALENE MATTHEE. It is once again time for us to experience the wonderful story of FIELA SE KIND on stage. From the outset, my team and I said that we did not want to copy any of the former Fielas and therefore, this production will be fresh and new. I am very excited about what happened during the creative processes. Theatregoers will definitely experience a wonderful new production and, after 30 years, there is of course a whole new generation that has never seen FIELA SE KIND on stage.

Swart further explained that they did a nationwide search, especially for a young Benjamin and Nina:

After auditioning more than 300 children across the country, we finally found our new Benjamin (Vian Singleton from Meyerton) and Nina (Jaime du Toit from Vereeniging). These two are extremely talented and will definitely do justice to the very important roles of the young Nina and Benjamin. I am just as excited about Shaleen Surtie-Richards, the original Fiela. Then we have the two wonderful young actors, Marissa Claasen and Phillru van Achterbergh, as the older Nina and Lukas, respectively.

The rest of the company includes Paul Lückhoff as Elias van Rooyen, Edrien Erasmus as Barta van Rooyen, Johny Klein as Selling Komoetie, Dirk Vermeulen and Nardus van der Vyver as the census takers, Divan Prinsloo as Willem van Rooyen, Graigan Swartz as Tollie Komoetie and Marilise van Wyk as Emma Komoetie.

According to Surtie Richards, it is wonderful to be back in the role of Fiela:

Eish man... thirty years later, and so many other roles later. And then Frans Swart, director of Fiela, gave me the opportunity to play Fiela again! You know, everything came back to me the moment I put Fiela's headscarf on. I became Fiela again. Every actor has that one role that was meant for him or her, and Fiela is mine. It is such an honour for me to return to Dalene Matthee's iconic tale that was written with so much love.

FIELA SE KIND plays the Theatre of Marcellus at Emperors Palace from 20 June - 2 July on Tuesdays to Saturdays at 20:00, with weekend matinees at 15:00. Bookings can be made online through Computicket, by phone on 0861 915 8000 or in person at any Shoprite/Checkers outlet nationwide. For group and school bookings, contact Lefra Productions directly by email or on 011 815 3000.

Following the season at Emperors Palace, FIELA SE KIND will be performed at the Innibos Lowveld National Arts Festival in Nelspruit (5 - 8 July 2017), the Free State Arts Festival in Bloemfontein (18 - 22 July 2017), at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town (21 - 27 August 2017) and at the Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria (28 August to 3 September 2017). The production is proudly presented with the support of Stuttaford Van Lines, RSG and Sounds Good.