Actress, singer and dancer Londiwe Dhlomo says playing the villainous Killer Queen in the spectacular rock musical, “We Will Rock You,” is a dream come true.
“We Will Rock You”, which recently enjoyed a successful run at the Montecasino’s Teatro, is set to rock Cape Town at the Artscape stages from May 5.
Dhlomo told “IOL Entertainment” that the Killer Queen was unlike any character she had played.
“Everything about Killer Queen is different. Firstly, this is a sci-fi rock musical, I’ve never been to one of those. She describes herself as ‘half human, half pixelated and all bad’. So already that’s far from any character I’ve ever played,” said Dhlomo.
“This is also the first time I get to play a character who is an outright villain from the beginning of the show, and I’m absolutely loving it.
“Not only is she ruling the iPlanet with an iron fist but she also manages to inject a little sexiness into everything she does.”
On bagging the role, she said: “It had been a gruelling audition process, and I knew that a lot of brilliant performers would audition for the role, so I was tentatively hoping that I would somehow stand out, especially since I couldn’t be in the room for the audition. I had to send in a couple of self-tapes.
“I couldn’t believe it at first when I got the email that said I got the role. I kept double-checking to make sure that I had read it right. But once it sunk in, I was over the moon.”
The show is about a group of bohemians in a dystopian future without musical instruments
A handful of rock rebels, the Bohemians, together with society misfits Scaramouche and Galileo, embark on the search to find the unlimited power of freedom, love and the rebirth of the age of rock.
“For me, as a performer, I love the fact that every discipline is tested in this production. You have to sing, act and dance at your optimum. You can’t rely on one skill over the other to carry you through the show, and because of that, it has been challenging in the best way.
“I hope the audience will have the greatest time when they come and see the show. Everybody involved in this show has put their heart and soul into it,” said Dhlomo.
“Whether they are on stage or off stage, trust that they are doing their utmost to ensure that the show is world-class and enjoyable for you. We love what we do, and I hope that translates to the audience.”
“We Will Rock You” is not a tribute show, nor does it tell the story of Queen or the legendary Freddie Mercury.
The show is a musical theatre production with its own storyline set to the music of 24 of Queen’s most popular hits including “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “Killer Queen”, and the worldwide favourites “We are the Champions”, “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Will Rock You”.
“We Will Rock You” is directed and choreographed by Nick Winston and Ryan-Lee Seager.
The production first opened at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (now Joburg Theatre) on May 9, 2006, and was last seen in South Africa 17 years ago.
“We Will Rock You World Tour” will be staged at Artscape Theatre Centre from May 5 to June 4.
Tickets cost R100 and are available from Ticketmaster.
“Common Ground”
Where: Baxter Theatre.
When: May 2 - 6.
Tankiso Mamabolo and Kitsi Seti team up in “Common Ground”, a collaborative exploration using music, spoken word and randomly placed conversations.
They are joined on stage by two musicians in a reflection of millennials who are quickly approaching 30.
In a time where individualism is putting a strain on artists, Tankiso and Kitso have decided to come together to create new avenues for inspiration and find common ground.
Performed in English, Xhosa and Sotho, the vibrant duo look at the re-imagination of self in moving forward to find a new form of self.
Both their respective art forms have been known to reflect or speak on societal issues affecting ambitious young black artists with focus placed on “being of blackness” and being a young person in South Africa today.
“Embody You”
Where: Drama Factory.
When: May 4 - 7
“Embody You” is a choreographic display of the physical body’s role and function in what makes us human, explored through the use of contemporary dance.
This a raw and thought-provoking work that zooms in on the notions of: Are we just our bodies? What is the self? What makes us human?
Every day we experience the body differently, in some cases its good and, in others, its bad.
How we deal with these experiences raises interesting questions about who we are, why we are like that and whether is that truly us or just the body that the world created for us.