Jack and the Beanstalk actor and dancer are ready to dazzle

The lead actor and a dancer in a pantomime set to take the stage in July said he would rather sing, dance, tell slapstick jokes, and interact with a live audience than appear on a screen.

William Young, 23, who lives in Leeuwen in Cape Town central, stars as Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Baxter Theatre Centre on Friday, July 4. He lives close to dancer Milli Mangate, 24, formerly from Kimberly.

She now lives in Cape Town, and they met at the Waterfront Theatre School in 2021. 

The KickstArt Theatre’s award-winning panto brings the classic English fairy tale about a young boy named Jack, who trades the family cow for magic beans, to life in a fun-filled, family theatre experience.

It is packed with toe-tapping songs; side-splitting laughs; fabulous costumes and sets, for a magical story to unfold before an audience of all ages.

“There is something so special about theatre and not being behind a screen, because everyone suffers from it, like I find myself scrolling. I'm constantly on my phone, and it's terrible. 

“So to have a chance to go (to theatre) and experience something (a performance), also with a whole lot of people (the audience),” he said. 

William doubts whether anything else could be as special and beautiful.

The young thespian fell in love with theatre when he was just four years old and his grandmother took him to see Cinderella in Durban. He would have even played the slipper.

“When I left, I wanted to be on that stage. I did not care which character I played,” he said. 

William said his career had brought him full circle after growing up on KickstArt’s pantos.

He first saw the play in his hometown about 12 years ago, then played Jack at the end of 2023 there, and now in the Mother City. 

William’s talent garnered critical acclaim in 2023 when he portrayed Curly in Oklahoma!, produced by Abrahamse & Meyer Productions and Waterfront Theatre School, directed by Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer at the Artscape Theatre Centre, earning a nomination for the BroadwayWorld Award for Best Performer in a musical. 

Both Milli and William performed in Oklahoma.

In the pantomime, Milli plays a magical dancing hen. She acts, sings, and dances.

They agreed that they needed to increase their effort and energy levels when it came to performing for children and in front of a live audience. 

“I feel like it is even more effort. It's like so much energy and like excitement to keep everyone interested,” said William.

Milli said: “Especially with the kids because with TikTok having like only eight-second videos. Like our energy needs to go from like 110 to 200 percent, just to keep them entertained and engaged. 

“They’re never looking away from a screen, so for them to sit for two hours, it's no child’s play,” she said. 

William said, “I also don’t think it is just for kids. 

“It's like Shrek. You watch it when you're young, you love it, and then you watch it when you're older and you love it even more, because you don't realize how much you missed, in terms of the jokes, dialogue and subtext,” said William. 

Milli saw her first play when she joined the school and has since been enthralled to be on stage, in supporting roles. 

“I’ve always just wanted to support the leads (performers). That’s where I feel like I’m the happiest. I feel like without the ensemble, the lead cannot get through the show. I can just be a little everywhere,” she said, adding that she loved to dance. 

The cast has been hard at work, mastering their craft, lines, cues, and being ready since Youth Day, Monday, June 16.

Milli said they worked on the public holiday: “For the love of the arts.”

Milli is a graduate of the Waterfront Theatre School with advanced training in ballet, contemporary, modern, and tap. 

She also appeared in the operas Cinderella and La Traviata, exploring dance in classical storytelling. 

She recently completed a tour of My Fair Lady, continuing to grow her passion for musical theatre and live performance.

William and Milli spend most of their day at the theatre rehearsing, only to go home to eat, read lines, practice choreography, and rest. 

William said they work particularly hard to stay healthy and that if they cannot perform, the show cannot go on. There are no understudies. 

“I was lucky enough to grow up with them at KickstArt’s pantos, so I literally watched them every year from the age of four. Every single year, and every year I go back and I still watch them,” he said.

William said he was excited for a whole new generation of young performers on stage. 

“Especially with pantos, there is so much crowd interaction. You can see everyone enjoying it so much,” he said. 

William is just thinking back, and now being in the production gives him goosebumps. 

“I remember how I felt when I sat there as a young child.“So it's exciting that it can happen for others,” he said.