Heidelberg soapie stars renew their bromance on stage
Three Cape Town soapie stars who shot to fame on the small screen are celebrating three decades of friendship and career support as they prepare for their stage production, Platform 9.
Theodore Jantjies, Christo Davids and Maurice Paige all hail from the small town of Heidelberg in the Garden Route District and their bromance has grown from a childhood friendship to sharing the stage.
The trio became television stars for their roles on 7de Laan and Isidingo but they have never forgotten their roots.
Jantjies said if it were not for Davids’s late grandfather, Goliath Davids, they would not have careers in the arts.
“He was crucial to the development of theatre in the region and undoubtedly to our advancement in the arts,” he said.
“He spearheaded various projects which helped progress it and ensured that the community was in touch with the arts.”
The 7de Laan star known for his role as Xander Meintjies said growing up in Heidelberg meant always being exposed to theatre.
“The community is well-versed in theatre and we were exposed to it from a primary school level already,” he said.
“I believe acting is a gift that I was born to do. Being on stage and screen has affirmed that it’s the right thing to do and that it makes me truly happy.”
Paige, known for his role of Calvin Xavier in Isidingo and more recently Tyron Daniels in Suidooster, said his passion for acting led him to pursue it as a career.
“I love that through acting we get to create art and my sights are now set on directing,” he said.
“I love acting on screen and stage, but the stage is where my foundation lies. There is a rawness that comes with performing live.”
The 40-year-old said coming from a small town taught him the importance of giving back to his community and being a role model.
“I learned later in life that I can be an inspiration to the youth and grown-ups. Being able to do that puts joy and satisfaction in my heart.”
Davids was fondly known for his role as Errol Pieterse in 7de Laan but he ventured into writing, producing and directing.
“Someone once called me a writer who happens to act and direct. I’ve always wanted to be a theatre director,” he said.
“I never thought I’d be this engulfed in TV making but sometimes you must let life happen.”
Davids said he can’t imagine working in any other career.
“Storytelling is one of the first things I think about when I wake up and last when I go to sleep,” he said.
The trio have been working together for the past decade on a production called Platform 9, which has had two instalments so far.
The final part of the trilogy, Platform 9: Coming Home, will be on show at the Baxter Theatre’s Golden Arrow studio from December 13.
The show is directed by Davids and acted as a two-hander by Jantjies and Paige. The show will document the duo’s trip back home to Cape Town for the festive season via train and all the people they meet along the way.
Davids said working on the show together has been a journey.
“The first instalment was launched in 2012 and I am very proud of what we have achieved and how we have grown as people over the years,” he said.
“We have always had a close bond and this show is an ode to that; a celebration of brotherhood against all odds.
“These three shows will always have a special place in all our lives because it is about our lives and based on people that we grew up with.”
Jantjies said getting to work with the two people he considered as brothers was a culmination of years of hard work.
“We knew from a very young age that this is what we wanted to do. We knew that there was power in us, being from where we were,” he added.
Paige said the significance of them performing as brothers from Heidelberg runs deep.
“It shows that (the place) we come from can produce something that is of a quality worthy of being featured in a theatre,” he said.
“The reason we do this is because it represents where we come from and our roots.
“There is not an inkling of doubt with my guys by my side. We are creating art and that is something that we are born to do.”