PRESS
MPILO MAY
Also known as Daniel Mpilo Richards
Award-winning play by Mpilo May and Gantane Kusch
Performed at Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison
“One hundred male and one hundred female inmates under extremely tight security were ushered into a gathering room inside the prison to watch the play called “Die Glas ennie Draad – The Glass and the Wire; gang lingo for the visionary/strategist (glass) and the implementer/communicator. The play traces the life of two prison cell mates linked to a prison-based Numbers gang, providing unique insight into modern day gang culture in South Africa.”
- Discover Society
“In what is a tightly bound succession of skits, it is that last facet – though supported by the other two – that shines most brightly in Mpilo’s case, as he morphs from characters old to young, from male to female, and from musician to sportsman. Van Graan (the writer) is internationally respected for taking on political issues via stage drama and Richards is one of the few performers in the country able to match Van Vuuren for ability, intensity and versatility.”
- Bruce Dennil
“His (Van Graan) latest offering, State Fracture, is again an excellent showcase for the triple threat that is Mpilo May. The singing, dancing actor deserves the awards he won for his previous foray into satire with Van Graan, Pay Back the Curry, and this State Fracture is also a stand-out performance.”
- Weekend Special (Theresa Smith)
“Mpilo may delivers a remarkable performance, adding to a body of work that already bears testament to his versatility as an actor. Whether he is called upon to speak, slam or sing, he delivers the goods. His extraordinary physical and rhythmic shifts from character to character are expertly guided by Van Vuuren, whose boldly comic eye has enabled Mpilo to polish each skit to perfection.”
- Broadway World (David Fick)
“ The third play in this stand up comedy model, with the delicious Daniel Mpilo Richards at the mic, Land Acts is even more potent than its predecessors, Pay Back the Curry and State Fracture. Richards is easy on the eye, and his musical skill and interpretation of the text really make it sing as he takes impeccable ownership of the material…With ten tightly honed and well-polished acts, Richards deftly describes the disappointing realities through the complex issues and status of land in our times.”
- R. Sassen
Daniel Mpilo Richards at the Oxford Peace Talks
“I could have been one of these kids. So, I and one of my friends co-wrote and performed a piece of theatre which gave voice to the dialogue between a gang leader and a psychologist based on a true story. No matter who you are, what you have done, we all have the capacity for change.”
“I am currently performing a one-man show called Pay Back the Curry which toured South Africa in 2016 and will continue to tour in 2017. To date I have done 95 performances of this show. Written by Mike Van Graan. Directed by Rob Van Vuuren. Produced by Siv Ngesi.”
- Indie Activity