From the novel, Kompoun, by Ronelda Kamfer

Adapted for the stage by Dr. Jolyn Phillips

Played to sold out houses at the 2025 Suidoosterfees in Cape Town

Director: Lee-Ann van Rooi 

Technical Manager: Seth Cloete

Lighting Designer: Alfred Rietmann

Stage Manager: Charlene Colling 

Cast

Melissa De Vries

Angelo Bergh

Melissa De Vries-Joseph

Melissa De Vries-Joseph is a well-known South African actress, dancer, MC, and producer. She is known for her wide range of skills and love for the arts. Melissa grew up in Blackheath, Cape Town, South Africa. She studied at City Varsity and earned a Licentiate of Trinity College London in Drama and Speech, along with an associate certification in the same field. Since 2015, she has worked in TV, film, voiceover, and live events. She has had important roles in Mince Jou Hare, Arendsvlei, and Taktiek. Melissa started MDV Productions and has made five short films that won international awards. She has hosted big events like Hip Hop International, Redbull BC One, Redbull Dance Your Style, Global Dance Supreme, and the Iconic Urban Awards. Melissa also created and hosts a TV show called A Walk with Mel, now in its twelfth season. She wants to inspire others with her talent, business skills, and hard work. Melissa believes that your talents will create opportunities for you and that what is meant for you will come to you. This belief drives her success. Melissa is the lead actress in the theater version of Kompoun by Ronelda Kamfer.

Angelo Bergh

Angelo Bergh is a talented South African actor known for his dynamic performances in film, television, and theater. Born and raised in South Africa, he was fluent in Afrikaans and English, which enhanced his versatility as an actor. Bergh has garnered critical acclaim for his roles, receiving multiple nominations at prestigious events, such as the Kanna Awards and the Premiére Festival, where he was recognized for his supporting roles in productions such as Su Walla Kassam and Ertjiepit. His dedication to the craft earned him accolades, including Best Actor, at the HSL awards in 2020 and 2019. In addition to acting, Bergh possesses skills in various accents, sports such as hockey and gymnastics, and character voices, making him a well-rounded performer. Melissa is the male lead in the theatre adaptation of Kompoun.

Lee-Ann van Rooi

Over 30 years of dedication to Arts and Culture, has not only brought her critical acclaim but has also cemented van Rooi as one of South Africa’s most iconic storytellers with a particular interest in growing sustainable, omni-inclusive, emotionally and culturally conscious performers and audiences alike.In all her producing, acting, and directorial contributions to date, she has endeavored to flip the existing narrative to amend the representation of people of colour within an African context, offering a feminine perspective, to consistently unpack stories filled with heart. Most recent awards include KKNK 2025 Kruispunt, 2023 Fiesta - Best Actress for The Woman Who Fed the Dogs, 2023 Woordfees Inverbondenheid.

Jolyn Phillips

Jolyn Phillips grew up in Blompark, Gansbaai. She earned a Ph.D. in English literature, focusing on creative writing, guided by Professors Antjie Krog and Jacobus Moolman. Her first book of short stories, Tjieng Tjang Tjerries, and other stories, won the NIHSS Prize for Best Fiction. She also wrote a book of Afrikaans poems called Radbraak, which won the UJ Prize for Best Debut in 2017, and Bientang: ’n !nau Gedig, which won the Eugene Marais Prize in 2021. Jolyn is also a performer and singer/songwriter. She has an album available on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music. In 2022, she got a grant from the NIHSS to adapt her work Bientang/ !nau gedig for the stage, shown at festivals like the Klein Karoo Kunstefees, Suidoosterfees, and US Toyota Woordfees. She is now a guest lecturer in creative writing at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. She also adapted the novel Kompoun by Ronelda Kamfer.

Seth Cloete

Seth Cloete is a writer, director, performer, and stage manager based in Cape Town. He holds a distinction in the bachelor’s degree in Theatre and performance, and a distinction in performance making from UCT. In 2025, he was nominated for the prestigious Fleur Du Cap Award for Most Promising Students and worked on William Shakespeare’s The Tempest at Maynardville Open-Air Theatre and Lee-Ann van Rooi’s Kompoun at Suidoosterfees. In April 2025, his self-written and directed play, The Last Supper(s), debuted at the Theatre Arts as part of the Young Professionals Festival.

Alfred Rietmann 

Alfred Rietmann studied drama at UCT. He acted in musical theatre for CAPAB and started his own children’s theatre company. He wrote, directed, and designed many youth shows. Later, he joined CAPAB as a stage manager and then became a resident assistant director. He worked on operas and musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, Evita, and Don Giovanni. He then worked at Ratanga Junction as a Resident Show Director and Entertainment Company Manager. Alfred was also one of the Artistic Directors for the 2003 Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony. After that, he joined the Artscape New Writing programme as a production manager and set and lighting designer. He created productions like The Tent, A Circus Side Show, Romeo & Juliet, Special Thanks To Guests From Afar, Mary & The Conqueror, and Krismis Van Map Jacobs. He also made lighting designs for Undone, Careful, Rookie, and Gin My Die Genade, earning two Fleur du Cup nominations for The Tent and A Circus Side Show. He designed the set and lighting for Die Fledermaus, The Merry Widow, and Don Pasquale at Artscape. Alfred was the Technical Training Manager at Artscape Theatre Centre. He directed Krismis Van Map Jacobs, Baby, and Vers & Kaberet there. As a production manager, he took several shows to international theatre festivals in Dublin, the Netherlands, Singapore, and North Carolina. Kompoun is his fourth production with Lee-Ann van Rooi as a lighting designer.

Charlene Colling

Charlene Colling is an accomplished playwright, director, and stage manager. She earned her BA Honors in drama and theatre arts from the University of the Free State (UFS). Her educational journey also included a BA in the Drama and Theatre Arts and various certifications from Northwest University and the Akademie vir Drama Kuns. Charlene has worked as a stage manager at the Vrystaat Mini Market, before moving to Cape Town to continue her pursuit of a life in the arts.