What would you do if Jesus Christ were to come back tomorrow? Will you be ready?
Those are the questions posed by TV legends Jerry Phele and Seputla Sebogodi in their new comedy show called O Tseleng Jeso (Jesus is Coming).
The show is set to have a brief run that starts today and ends on Wednesday at the Bloemfontein Civic Theatre. Sebogodi, who has appeared in many TV shows, said the idea of the show began when the coronavirus pandemic hit SA.
He told Sowetan that he opted to collaborate with his mentor Phele, who is famously known for his character of Mofokeng on eMzini Wezinsizwa.
O Tseleng Jeso had a preview run in Polokwane, Limpopo, last week.
He said: “We’ve been doing industrial theatre together and we have always wanted to do a stage show. When I had this idea, I decided to rope him in. He is the man who taught me a lot about acting.
“I was sitting at home looking at the lockdown and how it did not work for us as Africans or it was not meant for us. I was thinking what are we going to do if Jesus Christ were to come to SA? This would have not worked if it was a straight theatre show. It worked because we have added humour to it.”
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Phele, 65, who has more than 40 years of experience in acting, said he was excited to be back on stage acting.
“The show is talking about the coming of Jesus Christ. Are you ready because you have been all over the place and are you ready to account on the things that you have been doing? When Seputla approached me about the idea, I just could not resist. I love stage acting more than television because of the immediate response and the presence of people,” Phele said.
“We workshopped the story together and made adjustments as we rehearse it. What I love about it is that it is a simple show that anyone can relate to it. The message in the show is that we must lived life with a purpose because Ramasedi ha sona semaomoa (God is not a fool).”
Sebogodi said it was challenging to rehearse the production because they were busy shooting TV shows in between.
He said they were looking at staging it in Johannesburg next year.
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