Rocking the stage in hit musical
SHE was born to be a star. At 13, Mpumelelo Mayiyane was one of 12 South African youths to participate in a cultural exchange programme. This meant she performed at the Freud Theatre in Los Angeles and Apollo Theatre in New York – something most trained professionals never get the chance to do in their career.
Mayiyane says: “Having this exposure at such an early age showed me what was possible in this industry, not only on a national scale, but on a international scale. It was an experience I could not ignore and it propelled me into the next step then, which was to leave my normal high school and attend an arts school at the time.” And she went on to get her BA Honours Degree in Performance at AFDA after matriculating at the National School of the Arts. Darrell Roodt signed her to play a support role in Little One, which featured at the 2013 Oscars. She also starred in Leon Schuster’s Mad Buddies. On the TV side of things, she’s been on SABC1’s My Perfect Family, SABC2’s Muvhango and SABC3’S Erfsondes, High Rollers and Roer Jou Voete. Her love for the stage continued with parts in Songs From Jazz Town, Too Much Punch for Judy, Beautiful Creatures and the critically-acclaimed Africa Umoja. This brings us to her bagging the role of Justice in Rock of Ages, which is currently on at Gold Reef City and receiving rave reviews. “Rock of Ages held their auditions early on in the year,” she recalls. “I auditioned for the musical and, despite my average audition, I landed a callback, which I felt gave me a chance to redeem myself. At a later stage, I had to forward a vocal recording of the audition material. And, shortly after that, I received a call from my agent to inform me that I had been offered the role.
“Working with this cast and creative team has been a huge and constant highlight. I’ve had the privilege of working with Zak in the South African children’s musical Beautiful Creatures and I’ve been directed by Neels Clasen in a road show, both experiences have been filled with lots of laughter.
The musical tells the story of Drew, a city boy from South Detroit, and Sherrie, a small-town girl, who have arrived in Los Angeles to chase their dreams of making it big. Let’s not forget about the wardrobe. Shedding light on her outfits, Mayiyane offers: “The way I see it Justice Charlier is a queen; she demands the best from herself and those that work for her.
“This translates in her wardrobe she wears; glamorous 80s-inspired gowns. Her aim is to dazzle with each encounter and her wardrobe captures this perfectly.”
When she isn’t performing, she spends time with the family. She reveals: “Family is important to me and I come from a big family… I also enjoy outdoor activities and watching films with close friends.”
She relaxes to a range of sounds. “My taste in music is quite eclectic. I spend a lot of time listening to the radio so I’m generally clued up with the latest music.”
Meantime, she is rocking it in this hit musical.