Bryan Hiles
Bryan is one of Durban’s most versatile actors and has stretched his skills in a variety of styles since his introduction into theatre in 1996 with the Story Spinning Theatre (Cape Town).
He studied drama at Technikon Natal (now DUT); and paid his way, while studying, through clowning, face painting, juggling and balloon sculpting. He moved to Johannesburg briefly after his studies, worked in educational theatre (AREPP), musical review (Comic Strip) and television (What’s Bothering Marc Lottering); and then returned to Durban where he has
remained. In the years since his return, he has garnered many awards for his work on stage. Bryan has performed in every KickstArt pantomime since their inception, winning awards for his roles in Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Other awards include Little Shop of Horrors (Lead Actor 2008 – Seymour), Peter Pan (Lead Actor 2009 – Peter Pan), Beauty and the Beast (Supporting Actor 2012 – Lumiere) and Sweeney Todd (Supporting Actor 2014 – Tobias). Other Musical credits include The Wizard of Oz, Into The Woods (KickstArt), Chicago (KickstArt) and Cabaret (KickstArt and Pieter Toerien Productions), for which he received a Naledi Award nomination. He received an award for Best Solo Performance in 2014 for his one-man show Jakob, which has toured to many centres around the country.

Bryan has also been involved with many of ThinkTheatre’s Shakespearean productions, building the set for Hamlet and Othello; performing Rodrigo in Othello and Hamlet in Hamlet. He has also played Cassio in Othello, Horatio in Hamlet and Macbeth in Macbeth for The Actors Co-Operative. Bryan has a particular interest in Children’s Theatre and (for ThinkTheatre)
has performed in Marvellous Mixtures (based on Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine) and Grandpa Grump and the Magical Junkshop; and created shadow puppetry for the highly acclaimed Tin Bucket Drum and Animal Farm. He recently played the lead in KickstArt’s The BFG, and, last year, played James in James And The Giant Peach; both based on Roald Dahl’s wonderful stories of the same name. Along with Peter Court (Creative Madness), Bryan created the “visual poem” A Mariner’s Tale; which won Best Director, Best Performance and Best Children’s Production in 2010.

Bryan also works as a voice artist, having voiced many advertisements on East Coast Radio, several on-hold messages for Success On Hold, Teletrack horse racing, safety videos, vocal dubbing for Telemundo, and many more.

Cara Roberts
Cara Roberts is an actress born in Johannesburg, currently residing in Durban. She has graced many a screen and stage since her first on screen appearance in Durban Poison as the female lead in 2012. She played Renee in Fynbos and Mark Read in Black Sails (Season 4). Cara has made appearances in many local and international films and music videos. She moved to Durban to further her theatre career. She was introduced to the city by Think Theatre, a company producing Shakespeare works which the matriculants are studying. She has played the role of Desdemona in Othello for six years; and the role of Ophelia in Hamlet for the last three. She won a Gold Ovation Award at the first Virtual National Arts Festival, 2020, for her solo show- The King Of Broken Things, where she plays a young boy struggling with the absence of his father. The show has been performed at the Hilton Arts Festival and internationally at the Sharjah International Fringe Festival. It was written and directed by lighting and theatre genius Michael Taylor-Broderick. Cara has starred as Fern and Gussy the Goose in Charlotte’s Web; and the title role in Sylvia, both produced by Durban’s KickstArt. She has also performed in children’s theatre – A Froggie Fairytale and The Great Big Enormous Turnip; and extended her puppetry talents, creating The Place of Small Miracles, along with Bryan Hiles and Michael Taylor-Broderick, which spins a beautiful tale using direct contact and shadow puppetry, music and visual effects.

Mpilo Nzimande
Mpilo “Straw” Nzimande is a performer, entertainer and actor from Pietermaritzburg, where he studied Drama at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He took on the world with his cousin, TQ Zondi, creating productions for his audiences’ delight. His versatility on stage has been prevalent as he has performed in shows such as Woza Albert, The Island, Termite Tall Tales for
Big People (where he received a National Arts Festival Ovation Award), Master Harold and the Boys, and Feedback. He made his debut in Durban by playing the lead role in the adult pantomime, Sinderfella and went on to perform in Aladdin as the Genie the following year. He has also appeared in Criss Cross Christmas, Rumplestiltskin and in The Theatresmith’s, One
Man One Light, which toured internationally. “His presence on stage and sheer drive and passion for theatre make him a master of character change and slick all round” (The Witness).
Notable performances in 2018 include Twice Upon a Mattress, Grandpa Grump and The Magical Junkshop and The Ugly Noo Noo. 2019 saw him perform in Feedback at the Hilton Arts festival, as well as the adult pantomime, 031 Temptations. In 2020 he rejoined ThinkTheatre to perform in Hamlet and Othello and Macbeth. He is currently part of Horn of Sorrow (created by Nicholas Ellenbogen). Mpilo Nzimande is also music producer, voice over Artist for Tops @Spar, Toys R Us and Snake chief (Animation Film). He appeared on ETV’s Imbewu season 4 and Uzalo in 2022.