I have been active in the entertainment industry of Cape Town since the age of 12.
I started out at one of Cape Town’s most popular local drama groups, Kinders vannie Ses, who at the time boasted the likes of Emo Adams, Mono Dullisear and Mortimer Williams.
Founder Mr Omar Adams, better known as Boeta Maan, gave me the platform to showcase my talent at that young age and also to grow it.
The format was comedy and as jy nie die mense kon laat lag nie was Kinders vannie Ses nie vir jou nie.
Making people laugh became my addiction and I would not feel satisfied unless someone came to me after a show and said: “Jy’t my nou amper in my broek laat pee” or “jy het my in my broek laat pee vannie lag
Boeta Maan also introduced me to moppie singing when he asked me to sing for the Woodstock Starlites, which was owned by the late Boeta Dienie.
My first attempt at the age of 16 didn’t go down too well. I remember singing off-key and Mr Adams had a frightening look on his face.
MUSICAL MIX : I’ve performed with Alistair Izobell
Nevertheless, I still managed to win the fourth prize!
When I finished my matric at Spine Road High School, I needed a new challenge, so I started my own drama group called The Shy Entertainers.
The drama group was built around Carlo Daniels, Bevan Kriel, Zacharia Zak Toerien and myself.
We performed as the boyband Shy.
This new venture also gave me the opportunity to test my writing skills and I ended up creating my very first tik awareness show, called Tik tot Jy Hik, and the drama Dommie se Tjommie.
The boyband later moved on to perform at Richard Griffen’s theatre of dreams, Madame Zingara.
As the guys got older, so too did their dreams mature - Bevan started working and the other two, Carlo and Zak, went on to star in David Kramer’s hit musical revival of Kat and the Kings.
I went on to perform alongside Loukmaan Adams and Alistair Izobell’s a capella musical, Vocal is Lekka, which was directed by Camillo Lombard.
HIGHLIGHT: The Zabalaza best actor award
My contribution to the production was a mixture of my three favourite things - moppie, song and comedy - by writing a moppie called Sarie.
This was also the moment I flew in an aeroplane for the first time, because the musical went on to be a part of the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, the biggest arts festival in the world.
While in Edinburgh, I realised that the majority of the shows were comedy and then I knew I was in the right field.
I was blessed in many ways while being part of this industry, but my biggest triumph was when I started writing my play, Wrongly Accused.
It was my first one-man show inspired by my motjie, Shameemah Piekaan, for which I won the Zabalaza Best Actor award.
ORIGINAL: Emo Adams was in Kinders vannie Ses
It was also my first drama and written work to be performed at the Baxter Theatre.
All this and it still felt like I was just getting starting.
Little did I know that a boytjie vannie Plein would be jetting off to New York to perform in the historical Carnegie Hall, with the Young Cape Malay Stars.
So why am I telling you all this?
Well, because on 2 December, LOL Productions will be celebrating my 21st anniversary in the industry at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone, with a production called Piekaan is 21.
It’s going to be a musical comedy celebration of this klong taking you on a journey into my life.
Book your seats at 072 714 9887.