PEOPLE'S POST | ATLANTIC SEABOARD | CITY EDITION Tuesday, 23 January 2018
NEWS 7
ARTS
Singing praises of an opera legend SAMANTHA LEE @Samantha_Lee121
T
he story of the late Ronald Theys – the first man of colour to take to the stage as an opera singer fighting against the apartheid regime – was passionately written by his son Nathan, a director residing in the UK. “This story is not only about my father – it is about honouring people who have got themselves through situations like apartheid to express themselves and be free,” he says. “People have gone through tough times and it is not only my father. There are so many out there who struggled and these are very important stories to tell.” Nathan grew up listening to his father’s stories and the family was never sheltered from the bare truth of life then. “I lived with him telling us graphic bedtime stories of what life was like then and I hope that I can do these stories justice in the film,” says Nathan. The feature film was written by Nathan and the script was entered into the pitching sessions at the Cape Town International Film Festival in October last year where it won first prize.“The story is about a coloured man’s struggle to become an opera singer during apartheid, but then he starts singing professionally and becomes one of the first to do so during the apartheid era,” he says. Ronald struggled during the apartheid era to become a lead tenor with the Eoan Group. He eventually achieved his dreams and performed in more than 300 productions all around the world. Ronald grew up in District Six but was forced to move to Mitchell’s Plain under the Group Areas Act. He also lived in Athlone and performed all over the City at events, shows and weddings, and sometimes even for free.
He joined a group when he was 15 years when his father decided to engage in a rugby old and was in the industry for 30 years. match. His dream was to be part of stage produc“He was a rugby referee and the Eoan tions as a lead tenor but because of contin- Group were preparing for Rigaletto. The ued discrimination, he had to settle for being lead tenor died before the opening night and a choir member they employed in the backmy father but his ground. stubborn, sarHis dream castic nature led could have been him to play rugrealised a lot by on the weeksooner, having ends even been offered a pothough he was sition at the Scotnot supposed to. They tackled tish Opera House before joining him at his neck the choir, but beand he was hoscause they would pitalised and not pay for his could not sing,” wife to travel and Nathan says. live with him, he He was given turned down the an ultimatum opportunity. and the opera He then aphouse waited for plied for a posihim to recover tion locally but and sing the opwas rejected and era. He is dehired as a choir scribed as a pasmember. sionate, jubilant Although he and tenacious was a choir memperson with good ber for more than energy. 15 years, he nev“I was told a story by one of er gave up on his The late opera singer Ronald Theys. dream of one day his colleagues taking the lead. about how they struggled and my father Ronald eventually realised his dream and said: ‘I just want to sing’. So my father in the took to the world stage. Although he was not opera world was a strong figure because he always good at reading opera, his tenacity, trained many of the current opera singers. passion and undeniable voice helped him He also sang in the ‘Coons’ and judged them. succeed. He was a very busy man, making him very “When Nelson Mandela was released he well known in the entertainment industry,” got the opportunity to apply again and in the says Nathan. early 1990s he sang his first lead as a princiHis legacy still lives on, with his name bepal tenor,” says Nathan. ing among the most well known in the opera This opportunity was almost short lived scene worldwide.
“I was at a barbeque in London one year and there I saw opera singers who knew my dad and they were singing on the big stage. They called my dad ‘Pa’. Big singers on the London stage calling my dad Pa!” he says, Ronald died at the age of 72 in June 2004. “Opera singers from all over came and you should have been at the funeral – they rocked the place! It was very uplifting,” he says. Nathan was inspired to tell his father’s story because of his own struggles trying to make it in the UK film industry classed as a black man. “This is very close to home because I am going through the struggle and my father got through his struggle and he is an inspiration to me. We need to see things from a different perspective of hope and courage. I haven’t seen films from District Six, for example and I want to see these stories.” Reading about people closer to home is important to educate future generations on the history of the country, says Nathan. Liesel Priem from production company Mad Little Badger says Ronald’s story is important, as he was the person to cement the opera world at the time.“He created that world that was unknown to the coloured people back then. He struggled to get on that stage, but he got there,” she says. “When you talk about [inspirational men], there are many and he is just one of them that we need to honour,” she says. The film is backed by Mad Little Badger and Stage Five Films. “We want to open it up to the community so that they can also say they had a part in it and that they invested in it to make it possible,” says Nathan. “This story will be made, whether I am here or not.” V To get involved in the movie, to invest or for more information, contact Liesel Priem on 084 989 2803, email liesel@madlittlebadger.com or visit the website: madelittlebadger.com.