Artist makes creative waves in musical theatre
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Artist, producer and stage performer and Newlands resident Weslee Lauder has set his sights on making a positive difference in the musical theatre industry of South Africa.
Lauder explained that his involvement in theatre has always been a second instinct. “I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic. I did the normal acting bid in school, attended the National School of the Arts for high school, where I studied speech and drama in a more detailed form,” he said.
It was only when he turned 17 years old that he was introduced to musical theatre and decided to audition at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) to study it. Since then he has never looked back.
In 2010 Lauder made his professional debut in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at the State Theatre. In 2011, Weslee choreographed the South African Premier of Spring Awakening! and starred in the Naledi Award-winning family musical African Adventure in various roles.
In 2015 he received a Naledi Theatre Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Call Me Lee. Additionally, he directed Stage by Stage. Lauder was creative director and choreographer of the Ghoema Music Awards, and directed Aspoestertjie at Emperors Palace.
Lauder still wants to achieve much more. “It really feels like I have only scraped the surface. But, I would love to be the artistic tour director/choreographer of a big name in rock or pop, or land a role in an international television series,” he said.
Lauder maintained that the best advice he could give to anyone trying to make it in the musical theatre industry, is get into a healthy routine of self preservation.
