The Witness.co.za – Tuesday 31 August 2004

By Caroline Smart

A career, particularly in the performing arts, is made up of many ups and downs, with the occasionally gem of an experience making an indelible mark in one’s memory.

Such was the case when I was offered the part of a fairly imposing character, named Taj, in the film Wah Wah, directed by Richard E. Grant. Since the groundbreaking film Withnail and I, I have been a great admirer of his acting abilities and was delighted to be a part of his directorial debut.

Grant grew up in Swaziland and the film, which he also scripted, deals with a portion of his early life and was shot entirely on location in Swaziland. The teenage Richard is played by rising young British star Nicholas Hoult, with Zachary Fox playing the younger Richard.

The star-studded cast list continues: Gabriel Byrne and Miranda Richardson play Richard’s parents, with Emily Watson taking the role of his stepmother. The inimitable Julie Walters plays a close family friend while John Carlisle and Celia Imrie are the British High Commissioner and his wife. Adding to the impressive line-up are Fenella Woolgar, Julian Wadham and Sid Mitchell. Richard’s own daughter, Olivia, plays his first love interest.

Wah Wah covers the last decade of British rule leading up to Swaziland’s independence, which is paralleled by the break-up of the marriage of Richard’s parents. The film accurately reflects colonial times and behaviour, and the scenes are compact and strongly injected with humour.

Other South African actors taking part are Michael Richard, John Matshikiza, Ian Roberts and Clare Marshall.

With a cast so firmly embedded in the comedy genre, and a director who was quick to find new touches of humour, this made for quick and snappy repartee on and off set.

Taj, the part I play, is a jovial member of the Swaziland Theatre Club where a group of avid thespians, including her friend Gwen (Julie Walters), are putting on Camelot. On opening night, Gwen spots her ex-husband in the audience. Distraught and still smarting from their break-up, she promptly downs a bottle of gin and passes out backstage. This causes more mayhem. After all, Gwen is playing Guinevere!

That particular sequence of scenes -getting Gwen onto the couch, trying to revive her and getting her onto the stage – will be etched indelibly in my memory.

When I’m directing a production or giving voice coaching, my constant reminder is that the audience should never “see the process” of acting. An actor should “be” – be a real person with whom the audience can identify, without being aware of a memory churning to remember lines, wear costumes, negotiate furniture and stay in the lights.

Walters has an awesome capacity to produce “real” characters. See Wah Wah, then look out for her in films such as Educating Rita, Billy Elliot, Calendar Girls and the Harry Potter films. Whatever role she takes on, she infuses it with her own generous capacity for reality. One is never aware of the process. Her focus is almost tangible, without excluding her fellow cast members.

To be able to work with such a team – staying at the Orion Hotel at Piggs Peak and the luxurious Royal Swazi Sun – was an unbelievable opportunity.

Swaziland is a beautiful country with impressive scenery. Sibebe Rock is the second largest rock formation in the world next to Ayres Rock in Australia. The mountains and valleys made for magnificent backdrops for outdoor scenes.

The weather remained kind, except for the week that it snowed in nearby Belfast and temperatures plummeted. We could have done without that cold weather when we shot a scene in the Cuddle Puddle (hot water springs). Despite the bitter cold, Walters astounded us all with her delicious rendition of a mock Gypsy Rose Lee strip while perched on a dangerously uneven surface and wearing spiked high heels!

Richard E. Grant’s understanding of filmwork from the actor’s side of the camera makes him an appreciative, patient and pro-active director, at times encouraging his cast to explore their roles while keeping things under tight control at others.

I can’t wait to see Wah Wah when it is released to relive that creative experience all over again.

Caroline Smart lived in Pietermaritzburg for a number of years when her family moved from Kenya to South Africa in the early sixties. She now lives in Durban, where she is a well-known figure in the theatre world.