Zim’s Wiina shines at RSC

y little (apart from an irrational fear of camels) but when he landed the lead role as Pericles in a Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) production he admits to being slightly concerned by “the size, grandeur and stature of the project”.
Already a well-established actor, writer and director in Zimbabwe, with Over The Edge – the theatre group he helped found, Lucian admits to having had the “the benefit of achieving quite a lot at a young age in Zimbabwe.” However, he had always had a longstanding ambition to try his hand elsewhere. His first role was in a London West End production three years ago, shortly after he moved to Britain. Since then he has had a series of roles at the National Theatre and in television. It is perhaps a testament to his talent and ambition that from his first theatrical role in London, he has rarely been out of work.
The RSC is one of the world’s best-known theatre ensembles and being offered the lead in one of their productions is something that Lucian regards as a highlight in his career. He is modest about his success. “I have been quite blessed,” he said. “I guess the crowning glory for this first phase has been to land a lead at the RSC.” However he admits: “Once the euphoria had died down, I realised that this is the beast, this is the mother of all things.”
Lucian’s nerves did not last long, however, having had a history in performing Shakespeare, both at school and with Over The Edge, any lingering butterflies were “immediately conquered on the first day of rehearsal when you are just like ok here we go it’s just another play, another job lets get on with it lets make it our own,” he said.
The reception of his performance has been fantastic, although he will not be able to read the press reviews of his play for quite a long while. “The reaction has been really positive. It is always to flattering to one’s ego when you get random stranger going out of their way to tell you how much they enjoyed your performance and I think the buzz generated over the project has been fantastic so its been all good,” he said. Lucian is part of a company of 20 actors who perform in both Pericles and The Winter’s Tale and he is not the only Zimbabwean in the group. “I am joined by Nyasha Hatendi. It sounds grandiose but it’s a great joy to have two sons of Africa here at the RSC,” he said.
It is very important for Lucian to portray a good image of black actors “beyond the cliché” in the UK. “I came over and for the first time I was told that I am a black actor and unfortunately because of the world we live in we are still dealing with issues of race, which is ironic for a country which has had such an impact and influence on the rest of the world,” said Lucian. He added: “It is my hope and my belief that the work that I am doing in a small way breaks down barriers. To know that some young person in Zimbabwe, Tanzania or Malawi can go online and see someone who looks like them, has a surname which sounds like theirs doing things on the international stage, well that can only be positive.”
After a leading role at the RSC, Lucian is determined to go “all the way to the top whatever that may be. My ambition as a creature of ego and desire is to climb the ladder and be more successful, however I would be very happy if the quality and the standard of the work I can take part in remains consistent and still challenges me. At the end of the day I love what I do, to keep doing that and make an honest living out of is all we can hope for really,” he said.