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A deep passion for theatre

Having started his career in the entertainment industry at the age of nine, Loukmaan has a deep passion for theatre and regaling the public with colourful stories.

“The thing about theatre is that no matter what is happening in one’s life, for a couple of hours it makes people forget about their realities as they are taken on a journey from a musical and story perspective,” he says.

“I was playing soccer with dreams of becoming a soccer star when my dad came to collect me and said I should sing a song for an audition at the Baxter Theatre. I got the gig and worked for a couple of years on that production, which allowed me to travel both locally and abroad. That opened a lot of doors for me, and the Baxter became my second home.”

An award-winning performer, Loukmaan is well-known for having worked alongside directors and songwriters such as Taliep Petersen and David Kramer in productions such as “District Six”, “Kat and the Kings”, as well as performing with international artists like Stevie Wonder and Bonnie Tyler.

“A lot of the productions I am involved with highlight Coloured stories. Through theatre I am able to express our stories and culture, which you won't find in the history books,” says Loukmaan.

“I did TV for a bit, and it was challenging with a family. I have a lot of respect for local ‘soapie’ stars. Learning lines every day is intense – I mean you do the normal household/family chores such as shopping and making food, while simultaneously trying to learn lines. With theatre it is a bit more structured – you know what your schedule is.”

Like most families, the pandemic forced the Adams family to diversify. “During lockdown, it was very different – we went from performing for hundreds and thousands of people to being limited to 100. Shaakirah and I then started our own company, LA Productions (Pty) Ltd, which gave rise to productions such as 'Unity on the Square' and ' Two of a Kind'. We started this as a means to sustain our living in terms of expenses. During lockdown, many of my friends had to sell their guitars and drumkits to make ends meet. Fortunately, Shaakirah comes from a tourism and hospitality background, and she came up with the idea of partnering with hotels to have a performance and meal package, whereby we could entertain 50 couples at a time.

“Working together means our personal and professional life is intertwined. We rarely switch off, but we are fortunate to have amazing people we work with. Shaakirah handles the operational and logistics aspects, and I am in charge of the production and creative side,” he says.

“Our next step is to launch an NPO – the Unity Foundation. The Unity Foundation is about empowering youth. It is a platform that seeks to create opportunities for youth to grow in the arts, performance and entertainment industries.

“We are not just looking at performers – we want to grow the platform to be inclusive. Digital media, for example, takes skill – sometimes people spend hours recording something to make a 20 second reel. At the end of the day, we want to create a lasting legacy that will continue through our youth. It’s important for us to guide our youth – it’s not always about instant fame. We have to put the time in to grow ourselves and work hard to achieve our goals,” concludes Loukmaan. 

Glam squad

Hair and makeup: Kyra Loubser

Clothing: H&M, Mishah Collection, Mohd Apparel, Cotton On Kids, Fabiani Shoes: Veldskoen