Latoya Newman
YOUNG artist Arno Wagenaar ( pictured) is no stranger to the stage, having – among other things – worked for two years with the Flatfoot Training Company and recently per- forming Verne Munusamy’s Consenting Silence.
He is now trying his hand at a historical romance in Sandy Bigara’s Just Yours.
We caught up with Wagenaar who takes on the lead role of Daniel Barnes, a young World War II airman.
“Lieutenant Daniel Barnes is a World War II flyboy of the PBY Catalina aircraft, which were used to check for enemy submarines along the South African coastline, launched from Congella and St Lucia,” explains Wagenaar.
“At the start of the show, Daniel is waiting for his deployment notice. While he waits, he goes out to enjoy Durban and he unexpectedly meets the love of his life, Ada May Green… He has a lot of awkward moments with first impressions, but he is, at heart, an old-fashioned gentleman…
‘What I love the most about Lieutenant Daniel Barnes is that he is a positive person. He will go out of his way to make you feel comfortable and safe around him, and he is always ready with a joke to lighten the mood.”
Wagenaar said he found the story line of Just Yours ex- tremely interesting: “But what I like most about this play is the time frame. I find it fascinating to imagine my character in 1943; their use of language, the clothes, the influences of WWII and what it must have been like to fight for your country, and the one that means the world to you.”
He said there had been lots of preparation before the show’s debut this week.
“Knowing your character and doing your research are the two most important preparation tools… It is always a good exper- ience when you work with an experienced director and cast.
“This has surely been an exciting experience working with Sandy Bigara and my fellow cast members Christiaan du Plessis and Chanel Meager. I cannot wait for the audience’s response!”
Just Yours also features Chanel Meager (as Ada May Green); Christiaan du Plessis (as Barney Bekker) and Sandy Bigara (as Florence McTavish). The show also features love songs from the 1940s.
l Just Yours stages from Thursday to February 22. R100 show, R160 show and dinner). Book at Computicket.