THE PERFORMERS

Erin Gemmell is a stage and screen actress hailing from Cape Town, South Africa. After studying Film and Theatre at UCT and musical theatre (postgrad) at LAMTA, she became active in the local theatre scene, her most recent work being her role of Gill in The Outlore’s XCODE (2023) and in Baked Shakespeare’s renditions of Twelfth Night (2022) and As You Like It (2023), as Maria and Audrey, respectively. In film and television, her work includes most recently playing the role of Vicky in the film Life Happened and Lynlee Renick in American Monster, as well as numerous short-film roles.

Henu Baden is an aspiring celebrity who in preparation for his fame has completed a BA Hons Degree in Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies at the University of Cape Town. Since then he has gone on to perform on the stage, street and screen. Recently he starred in a ‘Love Island’ skit for BBC’s Comic Relief as well as a Russian Tomato Advert. He is also a Baked Shakespeare veteran with this being his second production with the company. Henu is proudly represented by Stella Talent and is excited to be be at his very first NAF!

Jake Maisel is an actor and producer represented by MLA. In his early years of performance, he was best known for his appearances in international series Black Sails, Origin, and Bagels and Bubbles. Jake studied an Honours in Theatre and Performance at UCT. In 2021, Jake started the Baked Shakespeare company which has since grown to become an internationally licensed model. He plans to continue producing innovative concepts that appeal to audiences between the ages of 18 and 35 years old. When Jake is not spending time developing Baked Shakespeare, you can find him surfing sweet waves in Cape Town.

James Stoffberg is an up-and-coming performer to watch in the South African theatre scene, who has graduated from UCT with a BA in Theatre and Performance. James’ most notable performances include Baked Shakespeare’s rendition of Twelfth Night and As You Like It, the tragicomedy Not Falling at Theatre Arts, and multiple runs of the children’s theatre piece How To Hold The World, all of which have been performed across Cape Town. James has also worked on various film and television works including advertisements, series, films, and corporate films.

Laura Kelly is 24 year old performer from Cape Town, South Africa.
She first joined the Baked Shakespeare team for their 2022 production of Twelfth Night, performing the role of the Countess Olivia. Laura is currently rehearsing for her first one-woman theatre show, The Reed Player. She graduated from the Cape Academy of Dramatic Arts as the top performing student of her year and with an Honours certificate from Trinity College of London.

Max du Toit is a Cape Town based actor who graduated from the Waterfront Theatre Collage in 2015. Since entering the industry he’s spent his time performing both on stage and in front of the camera. He’s extremely proud to be a part of Baked Shakespeare.

Sarah Talitha Lazarus is an actor and singer with a background in psychology and advanced media studies. She has a Bachelor of Arts in live performance is currently doing her Honours degree at AFDA. She have been an opening act for several small scale performances, as well as Lloyd Cele. She has also participated in numerous musical reviews and several theatre pieces, and is extremely excited by the world of musical theatre and her aspirations include being the first Indian Disney princess.

S’Qhamo Mangcu is a screen and theatre trained actor from Cape Town. He received a BA in Live Performance from AFDA Cape Town in 2020 and has been working as an actor in Cape Town ever since. He has appeared in numerous South African films, television shows and commercials, as well as having worked on a number of international screen-based work. S’Qhamo has a passion for theatre and intends to grow and improve his craft through the medium. He has a particular interest in African theatre forms and wants to create stories that are accessible and universal. Baked Shakespeare’s As You Like It is S’Qhamo’s professional theatre debut where he plays the lead role of Orlando.

THE DIRECTOR

Juliette Rose-Innes is a performance maker, and graduate from the Theatre making programme at UCT. In 2017, she was as a finalist in the Scribe Scriptwriting Competition with her play Gardening and Other Distractions. Her children’s play How to Hold the World – which premiered in late 2021 – has been performed at The Drama Factory, ASSITEJ’s Cape Town branch in Vrygrond, the African Storytelling Festival in collaboration with the Jungle Theatre Company, the National Arts Festival in 2022, the Homecoming Centre, the Kalk Bay Theatre, and the Spier Harvest of the Arts Festival, amongst others. She has also written and directed the tragicomic dance and acting piece about disability, Not Falling, with two different casts over two years. She began working with Baked Shakespeare in 2022, directing their production of Twelfth Night, and began directing As You Like It in 2023, which has had 20 sold-out performances in Cape Town and surrounds. Juliette has also worked as a stage manager, social media manager, copywriter, and anything else that gets her near a theatre. Her directing style aims to bring the best out of her actors, as they explore their storylines and characters in relatable, fun, and modern ways.