Theatre stage remains Senga's true home

Windhoek Gordon Joseph Senga Brockerhoff, who plays the part of Tararos in a musical about Namibian legend Jakob Marengo's life, was born and raised in Rehoboth. After high school she unsuccessfully pursued a degree in accounting at the University of Stellenbosch. During this period she was active in the university's amateur drama society and in 2002 won the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) award for best theatre zone actress and best overall performer for her title role in Poppie Engelbrecht. With the booming of the country's film and theatre festival, a number of local actors and actresses have risen to the occasion. Still Senga remains one of those considered every directors dream, thanks to her ability to act, sing and play any race. Shortly after winning her NTN awards, she attended the Tampere Theatre Festival in Finland as a delegate for the NTN. On her return from Stellenbosch she worked in hospitality, while remaining active on the Namibian performance scene. While the absence of a formal qualification at the time was bothering her, she couldn't ignore the calling of the stage. In 2008 she ventured to the United Kingdom to work for the royal family at St James palace. Since her return in 2010 she has worked as a guest relations consultant and operations manager at the Playhouse Theatre. She has also made numerous guest appearances with the Fujazz band and in 2011 staged her first solo show, Just Jazz. At the end of last year she performed in the Chicago Blues show with the Mojo Blues band and Wikaphonica orchestra Last year, she successfully coordinated the Namibia Film Week, which is set to become an annual industry event. She currently works at the NTN and is the new chairperson of the Filmmakers Association of Namibia. Asked what her most memorable role this far was, unsurprisingly she says her part in Poppie Engelbrecht. She draws inspiration from American acting greats Meryl Streep and Susan Sarandon. “I love how they make acting look so effortless yet being true to the character they are portraying,” she said. Tjil also spoke to Senga about the challenges facing the film and theatre industry. “Funding definitely. People underestimate how expensive it is to make films or produce theatre plays. We also have a talent drain, where talented people in the arts industry start migrating to more serious and lucrative jobs, as they become older and a consistent income in the arts is difficult to maintain,” she says in her husk tone. Although Senga is most popular for her acting, she is also blessed with a big voice known for its rusty tone. Asked whether she will return to music she says that “Definitely. Over the past few years I've been singing a bit and hope that in future more opportunities will arise. “I love singing and don't think I will ever fully give up on it, even if it does not culminate into a fully-fledged career”.