A script written by Schauderville resident Andre Mackay about two friends living in South End in the “good old days”, and an entire back story written to support the origin and lives of these residents, gave rise to the popular northern areas character, Boeta B.
And the moment Boeta B, played by Kurt Terblanche, appears on stage, audiences start giggling without him even saying a word.
His next show is at the Fairview Sports Centre on Thursday.
Terblanche said Boeta B came to life in 2012 as part of a stage production for a church concert.
“Prior to 2012, my stage performances were mostly singing and performing in plays.
“The 2012 stage production was done with a large group of performers.
“Andre was the producer of the production, titled Waa was Djy (Where were you), and created the character of Boeta B.
“Ben Baadjies, also known as Boeta B, and Henry Laavens, also known as O Laalie, took to the stage in front of a 300-strong crowd in November 2012.
“These two characters were very relatable and were an instant hit with the audience,” Terblanche said.
“The persona of Boeta B was an amalgamation of real-life characters mixed with my own personality and a fictional understanding of everybody’s ‘Boeta’ [brother].
“Boeta B became everybody’s uncle, from the very small to the elderly.
“He was first invited to bring messages of encouragement at various children and youth institutions.”
Terblanche said Boeta B was approached to be a master of ceremonies at many different functions from high teas to national sporting events.
This led to a radio show on a local community radio station, where Boeta B and Laalie entertained listeners for almost three years.
The radio comedy slot was extremely popular with young and old.
Only a demanding performing career saw the pair not able to continue with radio.
“The character Boeta B is based in Schauderville.
“Schauderville and Korsten have a rich heritage with many icons from Highfield and Durban Road that they can all relate to.
“From Boy the barber to Ronnie the clothing salesman, the Star and Reno bioscope, not to mention the Alabama Hotel.
“All these iconic figures make for good stories.
“Auntie Mavis, the love of Boeta B’s life, has never been seen but is as real as the character of Boeta B, as she features in so many of his stories.
“Other characters like Geraldine the nosy neighbour and Benvis the son, have come to life with their own personalities and their own relatable stories.”
According to Terblanche, the love and acceptance from the audiences over the years has not only moved him, but inspired him to carry on writing and performing new material.
“The joy that Boeta B brought to so many was more than I could ever imagine.
“One terminally ill radio listener told me once that she lived with constant pain and waited every week to listen to what had happened to Boeta B in the week.
“The laughter from the stories took her pain away for a while.
“This and other stories still motivate me to do what I know best.”
He did shows for free for the elderly.
“My family has embraced my charity and goes along to serve cakes and tea to the elderly.
“I’ve teamed up with various organisations over the last few years that treat the elderly and I offer my time and talent to entertain and inspire those who have done much for us when they had the strength to do so.”
Terblanche did not stop with his activities when Covid-19 restrictions affected live performances.
“During Covid-19 restrictions, I moved my attention to writing, producing and creating free online messages for children with the help of Andre who did the editing and distribution.
“These online messages were sent to churches across the country and used as replacement for Sunday Schools when churches were closed due to lockdown restrictions.”
HeraldLIVE
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