Becoming Sarafina - again

Theatre reignites her soul. And, as Sarafina, Noxolo Dlamini channels truth, trauma and something far greater than herself

- Busi Lethole

For Noxolo Dlamini, acting isn't merely a job — it is spiritual. It's a channel that allows her to connect with people through their spirit.

I can immediately sense the passion she has for the vocation when she speaks. For her, the art of acting is one that enables her to portray characters that stand up for others and seek social justice.

Her portrayal of Sarafina is no exception. She has returned to theatre to reprise her role in the critically acclaimed musical by late South African playwright Mbongeni Ngema. The opening night of Sarafina took place on 30 May at the Joburg Theatre and it will run until 15 June.

The award-winning actress recounts how acting was a big part of her childhood, long before she stepped onto the stage and screen.

"I've always acted," she says.

"I started in nursery school. The earliest memory or story I've heard from my mother is that there was a show that we did. I was like five, six. We did the Down in the Jungle song and I got to play the mama.

"And I remember my mom saying that my teacher at the time went up to her after the performance and said, 'I don't know if you know this, but Nox is really good at this thing, you know. She seems to really enjoy it too.' And my mom was like, 'Oh, okay. Well that's really nice."

"And so my mom always reminds me of that story and I think that's when she first realised.

"But, for me, I used to love playing in the mirror. I used to dance, sing and act in front of the mirror. It's just something I really liked. I just enjoyed it. I got to primary school and that's all I did."

During her time at Craighall Primary School in Johannesburg, Dlamini had a drama teacher, Mrs Martel, who would later on put in a word to convince her mom to allow her to pursue her love of acting.