East Cape performer back for more arts fest glory

AFTER sold-out shows at last year's National Arts Festival, East London- born actor and musician Shaun Acker and his Cape Town production team return this year with four productions.

The former Stirling High School pupil said he was looking forward to gracing the stages at the festival.

They will be performing their sold-out production The Unexpected Man, which tells the story of two strangers sharing a train compartment.

The man is a world-famous actor and the woman an ardent admirer of his work.

Acker said the play, by award-winning playwright Yasmina Reza, had received great reviews and attendance since last year.

"We are hoping things will be great this year [as well]."

Other shows Acker is featured in include The Phax Trio, Get Kraken and Civil Parting, the latter recently returning from the Dublin Festival in Ireland.

The play, written by Cape Town playwright Nicholas Spagnoletti, was also nominated for an award for the best script in Ireland.

Spagnoletti said the play was about a married gay couple going through a divorce.

"Many people still focus on the marriage but even gay people divorce, they go through the same things as straight couples," he said.

Acker has been involved in music since his high school days at Stirling. He said he was introduced to the saxophone in Grade 8 by Standard Bank Jazz Festival director Alan Webster and was also shaped by luminaries Matthew Boon and Merlin Julie.

"I played jazz in the various school bands and was also placed in the Standard Bank National Schools Band for three consecutive years."

He twice performed with the South African National Youth Orchestra as a principal alto saxophonist and also appeared in numerous Standard Bank Jazz Festival performances conducted by well-known musicians like Brian Tusi and Hugh Masekela.

He said while studying for his Bachelor of Music degree, he started to fall in love with drama.

"I did a bit of drama in high school but it was not as major as music. I was excited about doing it in university. It was liberal and had open-minded types of people."

After completing his studies, Acker moved to Cape Town where he is based as a freelance actor and musician.

The Phax Trio will be showing at the Beethoven Room, The Unexpected Man at the Library Hall, Civil Parting at the Glennie Hall and Get Kraken at the Family Theatre. - Poliswa Plaatjie