MBABANE – The second director’s workshop at the October International Theatre Festival (OITF) proved to be fruitful for attendees through the meaningful conversations shared on the table.
In the world of theatre and film, the relationship between director and actor remains the cornerstone of compelling storytelling.
That was the resounding message from the directing masterclass, where seasoned director Moruti Dhlamini unpacked the delicate art of performance, presence and character embodiment.
Addressing a room of aspiring creatives Moruti stressed that projection is not merely about volume. It is about ownership. “The audience does not have to find your voice, it is your responsibility to give them the voice,” he said. An actor, he explained, must fully inhabit their role and allow the body to respond instinctively to text, rather than forcing emotion.
Central to his philosophy is listening. Characters must truly listen to one another, he argued, for authenticity to emerge. Every line delivered on stage should carry a dual purpose, the capacity to heal and to hurt. Without that emotional duality, dialogue falls flat.
The session quickly turned interactive when one attendee raised the question of scripting and character interpretation. Moruti stated that understanding your character is non-negotiable. “You must embody the character. Once you read the script with intention, you will know how to portray it at its best,” he said, urging actors to interrogate what is written, seek clarity from the director and never perform in confusion.
One of the attendees introduced a compelling theory that resonated with the class. “You cannot play what you are not.” If one is cast as a sangoma, he explained, there is a sangoma within you. The actor’s task is to locate that truth internally and honour it with respect and understanding. To do so, performers must be intimately aware of their own emotional tools and what the role demands of them.
Another participant asked how a director decides when to control movement. Moruti’s response was refreshingly liberating.
“You read the script and you find yourself. I cannot control you. You are not a tool. I just give you the lines you are supposed to follow and give you space to play, to look at your surroundings in your own way. Play what you have seen,” he said.
He illustrated this with a vivid example, a gunman standing by the door. The actor need not have lived that moment, but must see the gunshot in their mind, visualise it and let the body react truthfully.
Moruti further emphasised that a performer’s responsibility is to be resourceful. To build an arsenal of references, lived observations and emotional memories, a million tools, as he put it, that can be drawn upon when the moment demands.
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