Daniel Dercksen caught up with actor Martinus van den Berg, who attended one The Writing Studio's scriptwriting workshops a few years ago.

After finishing his studies at UCT and a workshop with The Writing Studio, Martinus spent a couple of years in New York where he studied filmmaking and acting at The Neighbourhood Playhouse, before returning home. He is currently seen on stage at the Obz Café Theatre in WOMEN, MAN as well as in the TV series Wild At Heart (showing on the Hallmark Channel)

AS AN ACTOR MAKING HIS DEBUT, A VENUE LIKE OBZ CAFE THEATRE IS A BLESSING?
I'd say so. This venue has definitely been a good place for dealing with the emotions involved with making my stage debut. It has a cozy, laidback atmosphere that really helped put me at ease early on.

TELL ME ABOUT WOMEN, MAN? HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
I knew Steven from varsity days and ran into him at the beginning of the year. He mentioned that he was writing a new play and might have a part for me. He called me up a few months later. We got together for a read through and I just loved the raw honesty of the various characters he had created, so I very much wanted to be a part of it from the start.

WOMEN. MAN IS A TIGHT KNITTED ENSEMBLE CAST? IT MUST BE GREAT TO WORK WITH SUCH A GREAT GROUP OF ACTORS?
These guys are cool. Mbu, Vanesh, Clyde and Mark all have very unique personalities and acting styles. It's been entertaining being on stage with them every night and a jol hanging out in Obz after the shows. I've definitely laughed a lot these last couple of weeks!

ARE YOU GOOD AT 'MATTERS OF THE HEART'? WHY?
Good is for others to decide, but I do enjoy it. I play two pretty wacky characters. The urge is always there to play the comedy, but Steve's writing is such that the comedy exists in the very real pain these guys go through in their various relationships. My first character has been oblivious to hurting his girlfriend's feelings and suddenly finds himself dumped, and I'm ashamed to say I know what that feels like, to find out too late that you were callous and unthoughtful and then to have to live with the consequences. The second character I play is more of a metaphor for anytime we have ever innocently given ourselves over to something, only to find that we were deceived. It hurts the heart and the ego!

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO MAKE IT AS AN ACTOR? WHY?
One thing that struck me in America was the amount of people who called themselves actors, but had never really done much besides go to gym and have a beautiful headshot taken. So while it seems like the odds of getting work as an actor and building a career are pretty stacked against you, I do have faith in the fact that I have been formally trained and work hard at it. Also, with the amount of exposure South Africa is receiving these days, I think our generation and those to come will have more opportunities to showcase what we're capable of and have a better shot at sustained work. 

YOU ARE ALSO A WRITER? WHY ACTING?
I like to write, but wouldn't call myself a writer. Not yet. Acting is something I sort of stumbled upon while studying filmmaking in New York. I was terrified of it at first, but couldn't get myself to walk away from it. There is a perception that learning how to act is learning how to lie professionally, but I find it to be the opposite; it teaches you how to tell the truth emotionally, how to trust your instincts. And that's hugely satisfying.

HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCES OF TRAVELING NEW YORK INFORM YOUR CAREER CHOICES? WHY?
I ended up staying in New York for close on three years. I worked in a manically busy restaurant in Soho called Café Gitane, rode my bicycle everywhere and made friends from all over the world. Something like 7 out every 10 people in NYC are foreign. It really is a massive melting pot and also a place where people of all classes and races rub shoulders on the streets and trains everyday, so it's very unique in that way.  I went over there to study filmmaking and ended up going to theatre school. The place I studied at, called 'The Neighborhood Playhouse' had a lot of history and some great teachers that really demanded from us to be prepared and honest in our work.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE FOR YOUNG PERFORMERS/ PLAYWRIGHTS IN SOUTH AFRICA?
There's some serious talent out there and with so many stories yet to be told in this crazy beautiful country of ours, I'm very hopeful for the future. I'd just like to see the average Joe in SA support the live arts more and not just during festival time.

WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THEATRE?
Well if adrenaline rush is your sort of thing, you can't beat a live performance. Not by jumping out of a plane or off a bridge or however it is you get your kicks.

ANY ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO BECOME ACTORS?
I'm still a rookie, so it would be a bit presumptuous of me to give advice!  I would highly recommend studying acting in New York if you are able to do so. There are probably 15 top acting school on Manhattan alone, and the experience of living in that city will also fuel your growth as an actor. UCT also offers a very thorough degree in acting, from what I have heard. Ultimately though, regardless of the training, or lack of, that you receive, you have to just go out and do it, fall flat on your face a few times and hopefully learn from your mistakes!

YOU ARE ALSO FEATURED IN THE TV SERIES WILD AT HEART. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
After the first season aired in the UK, they created a few new characters to spice things up a bit. I auditioned in Cape Town, went up to Joburg for a callback with the UK producers and got the part. It's a story about a British family who move to SA to run a game farm and I play Max, owner of Max's Bar 'n Grill in the local town. It's shot up in Joburg near the Hartebeespoort dam. 

FUTURE PLANS?
After 'Women, man' ends this week I go back up to Joburg until November to shoot the third season of Wild at Heart. And then, who knows?

READ MORE ABOUT WOMEN. MAN, NOW ON UNTIL MAY 19

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