Prime
Fauziah Nakiboneka was born for theatre
What you need to know:
Although Fauziah Nakiboneka tried to shy away from acting, she has turned out an all-round actress, taking on leading roles in one of the country’s oldest theatre group; The Ebonies.
Acting was never her dream because she was a bit of an introvert in school. In fact, she always turned down roles to act in plays when tutors tried to interest her in acting. “I hated acting because I was more of a listener and a bit shy,” Fauziah Nakiboneka says.
All this changed when she was scouted to join The Ebonies production outfit. From then on, acting became fun.
Today, Nakiboneka has been cast in a number of interesting but challenging roles, which have earned her a name among theatre goers. She will act sweet, a villain and at the same time be the indifferent character, which she all portrays satisfactorily.
Nakiboneka’s first role with The Ebonies was in a production titled The Boss, where she acted as a fiancée to one of the main characters. Before she could get on stage, she had to get into the mind of being mistress and she says it was challenging but something she successfully pulled off. But this was not the first time she stepped on stage. “The first time I stepped on stage was in Kinoni in Masaka with The Ebonies. I was so nervous and I kept praying not to make any mistakes,” she recounts.
When she stepped on stage, she could not afford to show her anxiety and she ended up impressing the crowd.
“What thrilled the audience was a scene where we had to kiss on stage and we made it appear like it was real. The audience made all sorts of comments thinking it was real,” she recollects.
The breakthrough
This was a good reception for her on stage but did not earn her a big break. The lead actress in The Ebonies drama group earned her break in a play titled Star Trouble where she acted as a brat called Skimpy Dee. “It was such a free character with no boundaries and I would say whatever I felt suited it. This character gave me a platform to demonstrate my versatility,” she says.
And then there are those roles that have left a profound effect on her. One of such roles was in one of the recent plays by The Ebonies titled Wheel Chair- Akaboozi. She acted as Obiina, a Nigerian woman who ran a brothel disguised a massage parlour. “I could not believe I would pull it off because I rarely watch Nigerian movies unless I bump into one on TV. But I just thank God for I think I have a gift of miraculously picking up accents. People appreciated me for that role too,” she says.
She is glad to have a director, (JWK Ssembajwe) who encourages his actors and actresses to venture in as many areas as possible. She adds, “For example, I’m a producer, a singer and actor, roles which showcase my flexibility. I have definitely improved a lot from the time I joined The Ebonies.”
Although Nakiboneka is committed to her career as an actress, she finds a way of striking a balance between work and family because she is in a committed relationship, with children who need her attention too. But it is still a challenge. “It is not easy trying to balance between work and my family because each time you try to please one side, you somehow end up annoying the other. This mainly occurs when you have a demanding project at work that requires you to put in extra time and effort, yet even at home, the family needs you to spend quality time together or attend to family affairs,” she explains.
Role models
Nakiboneka cut her teeth in the acting world at the time the likes of ‘Nakawunde’ (Harriet Nalubwama) and the late ‘Dick’ (Paul Katende) were on top. “It was awesome working with such talented people because they laid the foundation upon which all that we are doing right now is based. They inspired me because by the time I joined The Ebonies, they were superstars,” she says. This definitely made young Nakiboneka want to be like them and experience what it feels like to walk in their shoes.
How to be a good actor/actress
According to Nakiboneka, a good actor or actress should have the capacity to fit in different roles and carry all the highs and lows such roles call for. “A good actor or actress, first of all, should be able to display a fair amount of versatility, to be able to fit in various characters,” she affirms.
Nakiboneka also says a good actor or actress should always be a good listener to the directors and producers so as to bring out the best in the characters they are portraying.
