FOOD SWEET DELIGHTS
A summer berry trifle
How often do you travel?
Let’s just say I could probably do the onboard safety demonstration myself, without the help of the cabin crew.
Describe your first holiday you remember as a child.
We never really went away for the holidays when I was growing up. My first big travel memory would be when we moved from Cape Town to Pretoria. I was four years old and we made the journey by train. I remember finding it quite traumatic, knowing that I was leaving behind the sea and the mountain. I do, however, also recall a very friendly train crew member who brought me an extra serving of ice cream, which made everything better.
And your first trip abroad?
This happened quite recently, a year ago in fact. I was contracted to sing on a cruise ship for a German travel company. So after a month’s rehearsal in Berlin, I got to sail the Mediterranean, visiting places like Malta, Mykonos, Dubrovnik and many more. Definitely the adventure of a lifetime.
What is the most difficult, remote or adventurous destination you’ve ever been to?
Zimbabwe comes to mind. I’ve travelled there three times with shows and it was always a blast. The last time, however, I was put up in a hotel in Harare that was very much reminiscent of a boarding-school dormitory and the water pressure was so low that, after leaving the taps running for half an hour, I had about 1cm of water to bath in.
What is the best way to travel once you are abroad?
In my personal experience, I would say the easiest, but not necessarily best way to travel once abroad, is by foot.
What is your favourite city here or abroad?
Berlin. You definitely get the vibe that you can be whatever you want to be as long as you don’t bother anyone. On a Sunday stroll, I once saw a group of Goth-looking people practising body suspension from a tree in a park. A family with young children walked past and I was struck by the fact that the mother didn’t cover anyone’s eyes or rush past. Friendly nods were exchanged and everyone went on their way. Each to his own. I love that.
What has been your worst travel experience?
A couple of years ago I was in a show that toured the Eastern Cape. Now, I love the Eastern Cape, but travelling from Vereeniging to the Eastern Cape in a tiny mini-van packed to the brim with costumes, instruments and eight cast members … not so much.
Oddest thing you’ve experienced while travelling.
Travelling back home from Zimbabwe whilst waiting in the airport, I was shocked to hear my name being called over the public announcement system. The airport officials had apparently found something suspect in my luggage. Even though I knew I had nothing to hide, I was still filled with dread. I was taken to the back area where they load the luggage — sweating bullets. One of the crates filled with costumes had been booked in under my name for practical purposes and this was the suspect piece of luggage. This made me even more nervous, because I hadn’t packed this crate. Apparently they had seen something on the x-ray scanner that had given pause, and I had to be present before they could open the crate. Turns out, rhinestone-encrusted costumes can easily be mistaken for smuggled diamonds.
What is your best piece of travel advice?
Personal entertainment. Whether it’s a book or an iPad with a couple of movies on it, somewhere along your journey you are going to be stuck in an airport or at a bus station waiting for a delayed form of transport and you will be thankful for the distraction.
What do you hate about travelling or holidays?
Well, I’m no real-life Scrooge, but I do have a pet peeve when it comes to landing in planes. When they ask you to keep your seatbelt fastened until the seatbelt signs have been turned off, and you hear that chorus of clicking noises as people undo their seatbelts and start getting up, rummaging through overhead compartments for their hand luggage. Just make peace with the fact that you have to stay seated for another 10 minutes.
What elements — destination, people, attractions etc, make up your perfect holiday?
Perfect people. If you are travelling with the right companions, any destination can be a perfect holiday.
Name one place you really want to go, now or at least some day.
New Orleans. Partly for the music and partly to experience the roots of so much voodoo and vampire lore.
Rautenbach stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at Pieter Toerien's Upstairs Studio Theatre now until January 6 2019.