Thandie to coach Oprah girls

BRITISH actress Thandie Newton is coming to South Africa to teach acting to girls from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy.

The actress, who has won awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and from the Screen Actors Guild, will visit the Gauteng school during its annual arts and culture week, which starts on Monday.

Born to a Zimbabwean healthcare worker and an English laboratory technician, Newton has starred in films that include Mission: Impossible 2, Crash and the Winfrey-produced period piece Beloved.

The acting head of the Oprah Winfrey Academy, Joy Moore, said the week-long course would enable pupils to explore their creativity.

“The girls will learn more about the arts of poetry, acting and storytelling, and discover the beauty that lies within creative design and artistic presentation,” she said.

“It is Miss Winfrey’s hope that the experience will continue to help the girls integrate art, culture and creativity into their daily life.”

The workshops, which will cover everything from cooking and sculpture to dance, will be led by other well-known faces, such as South African storyteller Gcina Mhlophe, US dancer Alvin Ailey, US chef and author Art Smith and US fashion designer Ralph Lauren’s nephew, Greg Lauren, who will teach painting and comic-cover art.