The Durban High School Grade 9’s were recently visited by Aaron McIlroy, one of South Africa’s most popular entertainers with a string of stage blockbusters under his belt including the role of the father of Spud in the Spud films.
As part of their term syllabus, the Grade 9’s have been watching “Spud” as a film study. Kirsten Smith, the Drama Educator at the school approached McIlroy who kindly agreed to divulge his experiences of being on the set of a movie.
His interesting stories kept the boys entertained, whilst still educated them about the technicalities, estimated costs and process of movie making with numerous questions asked by the enthusiastic pupils.
He explained the difference between theatre acting and character acting in a film, and keeping true to who you are as a person.
According to McIlroy, “Your ordinary life changes when you star in a film. But you always have to remember your craft. I am now approached by people calling me “Spud’s dad”, which I have learnt to embrace.”
Smith thanked McIlroy for his time with the Durban High School pupils and said, “lessons like these are so important as they illustrate what education is all about! We are so grateful to Aaron for sharing his experiences with us.”
