When my wife and I decided to move from Pretoria to the Overberg, life offered me an unexpected opportunity. The original plan was to teach for the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy in Cape Town. During that process, I discovered the franchise for the Overberg region was available. It felt as if every previous experience I had lived had been preparing me for this, and in April 2016 I became Principal of the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy Overberg. A few years later I took on the Helderberg region as well. What started as a career move soon became a life mission.

My earliest memories are of making people laugh. As a young boy, my family home quickly became my first stage. At every gathering I would tell stories, invent characters and entertain anyone willing to watch. I simply loved making people feel something, long before I knew what acting was. When I was seven, I stepped onto a real theatre stage for the first time, and from that moment there was no doubt in my mind where I belonged. As I grew older, that childhood passion turned into a calling and I studied Acting at Tshwane University of Technology, graduating with a specialisation in mime and physical theatre. Later, my curiosity took me to the London School of Physical Theatre, where I learned a different way of telling stories – one where movement often speaks louder than words. Mime became a language that had me reaching audiences of every age and culture. It opened doors I had never imagined. I performed for Nickelodeon and Barney the Purple Dinosaur, travelled extensively, and have given more than 3,000 mime performances over the years.

My work also led me into television, film and theatre. Commercials broadcast in South Africa and abroad, productions such as Egoli, Villa Rosa, Donkerland and Bloedbroers and film credits including Leon Schuster’s Oh Shucks! Ek’s Gatvol! and Kalushi. One of my greatest challenges and proudest moments came in 2009 when I created and performed the one-man show Beheer, playing sixteen completely different characters. It premiered at Aardklop, then toured the KKNK and theatres around South Africa. With over forty stage productions under the belt, no matter where work took me, the theatre always felt like home.

While performing fulfilled me, another passion quietly grew. I found myself spending more time with young people, preparing them for Eisteddfods, school productions, talent competitions and mime performances. Watching children discover confidence through drama became just as rewarding as the applause. A highlight came in 2015 when one of my students won the National Eisteddfod in her age category. It wasn’t only the trophy that mattered – it was seeing what confidence, dedication and belief can achieve.

Through those experiences I came to understand that drama is not about creating actors. It is about creating confident people – young people who learn to communicate, solve problems creatively, work with others, think independently and believe in themselves. Empathy, resilience and courage are qualities that every child needs, whether they ever pursue a career on the stage or not. I have worked with hundreds of children and teenagers, watching shy students find their voices, nervous performers become confident leaders, and quiet children discover talents they never knew they had.