Calvin Hayward

Calvin Hayward (19**-) an actor and production manager.

Biography

Born in Luanshya Zambia 12 October 1971, he was raised in Kwambonambi in Zululand and was from a young age drawn to the magic of the theatre. In Class 2 he devised a series of skits based on jokes and dramatised them to great success to the small town’s Christmas gathering in the downhill. Sent to boarding school at 11 years of age, he appeared in every single school play he possibly could.

While completing his high school studies at Hilton College he gained colours for Dramatic Arts, and then went on to study Drama at University of Kwazulu-Natal in Durban (1990-1992). Having completed the course, started freelancing in Durban as an actor, before leaving Durban to work for Pieter Toerien and doing some work in TV. In the late 1990s he left for the UK, where he acted in in a series of Shakespeare touring productions of Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer Night’s Dream and Julius Caesar, as well as Shaun Cairn’s short Film The Ultimate Cocktail.

In 2001 he returned to South Africa to continue his career.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Stage work

His initial freelance career included a number of plays done with the late impresario Garth Anderson, works such as Men Women and Marriage, Twelfth Night and Story of an African Farm (1993/4?). He also appeared in Faces in the Wall (1994) and a few productions for NAPAC, e.g. Murray McGibbon's Hamlet and small cameo roles in Showboat and The Sound of Music. His last performance for NAPAC was as "Charlie" in Charley's Aunt.

Work in film and TV

Before leaving for the UK he got small parts in the TV soap Egoli and a French TV series shot at Bookers Farm.

On his return to South Africa he gradually moved into film production, to work on a number of projects, including Escape Room[1] (2019, production manager), The Brothers Grimsby[2] (2016 - production supervisor) and the South African phenomenon Jerusalema - South African Film Industry[3] (2020 - co-author, co-director and performer).