Cobus Venter

ABOUT//
Award-winning actor, singer, and director, Cobus Venter, obtained his B.A. degree in Drama in 1999 from the University of Pretoria and studied voice with Soprano Mauri Mostert. Over the last twelve years, Cobus has established himself as sought after tenor in the Musical theatre genre with leading roles in productions such as My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the roof, Dis hoe dit was, Opera Mania, Man of La Mancha, Ons vir jou, Shaka Zulu, Jock Of The Bushveld, Tree Aan, Ester-Die Musical, and Cinderella. For his role as Don Quixote in Man Of La Mancha, Cobus was nominated for a Mercury Durban Theatre Award in 2010. For his role as Freddy Einsford Hill in the well-known My Fair Lady, Cobus won the Durban Theatre Award for best supporting lead in a musical. He was also nominated for a Durban Theatre Award for his comical portrayal of King Maximillion in Rogers and Hammerstein’s version of Cinderella in 2011.

Cobus also managed to make his mark on the drama stage in productions such as Siener in die Suburbs(KKNK 2002), Swaelduif(a one-man show – KKNK 2003), and Full Circle (Market Theatre 2006). As an artist who takes great pleasure in making people laugh, Cobus has also distinguished himself as a comedy actor in two farces directed by the well-known Pierre van Pletzen: Knypie op die kant and Knypie 2: ‘n Dubbeldosis.

Cobus’s passion, however, is not restricted to the stage alone, and his television credits include Jak-Man in Paul C. Venter’s Een Skoenlapper, Brut Weiers in Haak en Steek with Casper de Vries, and Kobus Welters in Dryfsand. More recently, Cobus has become known as the lawyer, Allan Bland, on Rhythm City. Cobus has also appeared in the feature films, Stander, Hoof of Africa and Skin (with Sam Neill and Sophie Okonedo), and most recently as Henco in Born To Win.

One of the most exciting highlights of his career was playing the role of his personal idol and role model, Mario Lanza, in the production: “Mario Lanza – The lost legacy of the next Caruso”, that went to stage for the first time in 2010. The most recent triumph as a classical soloist for Cobus was his performance in the original Oratorio, Die Skepping, composed by Janine Neethling and Deon Opperman, and performed at the State
Theatre.