Natalia da Rocha

Natalia da Rocha. (1957- ) Actress, singer and dancer.

Biography

Her daughter is the performer Talia Egelhof.

Training

Studied at the University of Stellenbosch 1979-1981, the first mixed-race person to graduate with a Drama degree from that institution. A consummate veteran in South African cabaret and stage, she has worked with entertainment legends like Des and Dawn Lindberg,

playing Mary Magdalen in their 1985 production of Godspell. Her career began in a cabaret duo along with longtime creative partner Sam Marais in Johannesburg's infamous venue Club 58, located in the Hillbrow suburb owned and managed by Barbara Thompson & Ute Hasse. Many famous South African creative personalities grew up in or have passed through the now defunct Club 58, previously found at number 58 Pretoria Street. Her first large-scale production had her learning juggling-skills and working ("unpaid") as a trapeze assistant in Brickhill and Burke's musical Barnum (1984). She's graced landmark stages such as Cape Town's Baxter Theatre (in the original South African production Fangs, 1982), the Wild Coast Sun resort's mainstage and Sun City during Extravaganza (1987). She is well known for her convincing and energetic staged impersonations of international divas such as Tina Turner. A regular on the tour circuit at shows such as the KKNK and Cedarberg Arts Festival. She has numerous nominations as Best Actress in South Africa's Vita Awards (early 1990s) and numerous musical performances during the Artes Awards (mid-1980s). On the small screen she has acted in TV serials such as the Afrikaans Gallery; This Life and The Game (about South Africa's institutionalised obsession with rugby union; this TV show starred Gavin Hood who would go on to direct Totsi); current youth melodrama Backstage and as recurring character Amy on eGoli (Zulu for place of Gold) South Africa's longest running soap opera. On British television she appeared in the serial Tarzan. She is also featured or overdubbed on many public service announcements. Natalia has also co-hosted Saturday morning, women's magazine television programme Just For You and her own retro-hits radio show Classic Hits of our Time on Kaya FM. Her songwriting credits include co-writing the African Child theme for the International Crystal Awards for Women in Film (1997). During the 1980s she collaborated with legendary South African musician Neville Nash on a TV special commemorating his achievements. Natalia sang the theme song of the 1984 Jans Rautenbach movie Broer Marie : Bly by My a song written by Christa Steyn. "Die Slavin" (Afrikaans: The Female Slave) was an interactive theatre piece commissioned for the "Suidoosterfees" (Afrikaans : South-Easter Festival) in 2006 . During rehearsals the cast and band composed and recorded a full-length album released as "slavin". Sy sal onthou word as kabaret ster op Afrikaanse programme soos "Net voor Nagsê" en as aktrise op TV-programme soos "Vetkoek paleis"en "Ali Barber". Dankie Natalia vir jou reuse bydrae tot die Suid-Afrikaanse teater en die groot verskil wat jy tans maak in die lewens van talle jong mense. Jy is 'n inspirasie.

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

She starred in Godspell (1985), Movin' at Sun City in 1987. She starred in Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the André Huguenet Theatre in 1990 and performed in Gathering of the Beasts in 1991.

Other productions include Die Laaste Aand, Barnum, The Boy Friend, Vere, Die Verhoor.

A founder member of the Applauz Arts Initiative in Cape Town and of the production company Rainbow Worx, founded in 1995.

Awards, etc

Nominated Vita Award (KZN region) 1994, Jimbo (best actress in leading role).

Sources

Wikipedia [1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalia_da_Rocha

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