Nelson Mandela, the world's favourite elder statesman, places theatre-going high on his busy agenda. Accompanied by a throng of relatives and bodyguards, Madiba attended the final dress rehearsal of John Kani's new play Nothing But The Truth on Monday night.
When Gauteng's Market Theatre received a call on Monday afternoon stating that "someone" wanted to see the play - which had its provincial premiere on Tuesday evening - John Kani said "no". There couldn't be any exceptions because the final dress rehearsal was "a delicate process".
But a second call revealed that it was "Nelson". He was going away but badly wanted to see the play as friends had recommended it after its run at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town.
Kani, who also stars in this family drama directed by Janice Honeyman, relented. And Madiba, along with four of his grandchildren and six bodyguards, stole the limelight.
"When he walked in," recalled Kani, "I thought 'Oh, my God, what an honour.' It's almost like a royal command performance".
The first and last time the actor performed for the former president was in 1995, in the same theatre, for a revival of The Island, a play based on Robben Island, which John Kani wrote with Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona.
After the performance, Madiba's critical verdict to the playwright was: "This is a powerful drama, very political, but in a subtle way. What a wonderful play."
Nothing But The Truth, which originated as a radio play broadcast on the BBC World Service in January this year, is set in the Eastern Cape and deals with a man whose niece arrives from the UK to bury her father, who had died in exile.
It co-stars Pamela Nomvete and Dambisa Kente. When introduced to Nomvete, Madiba remembered her late father Bucks Nomvete, whom he had met in Addis Ababa.
On the way out, said Kani, Madiba's cellphone rang from an international hot spot. It was business as usual for the grand old man after a night at the theatre that left the actors on a high.