Meet Cintaine Schutte, the 31-year-old dark-haired actress who lit our TV screens recently playing the no-nonsense lawyer, Katrien Nienaber on Kyknet’s legal drama, Fynskrif.
Cintaine hails from Pretoria and came to Cape Town to fulfil her dream of being an actress, studying Drama and Performing Arts at The University of Stellenbosch and UCT respectively.
“These days I’m a Capetonian living at the foot of Table Mountain,” says a casual Cintaine.
Since last week Cintaine took to the stage again playing, Victoria, a somewhat hopeless romantic in the one-hander, “Half Leeg” (Last Rounds).
In her personal life, she is everything but Victoria. On the contrary, she is engaged to be married.
In Fynskrif her fiancé dumped her, the very same guy, the actor Carel Nel who happens to be her on-screen lover is her real-life boyfriend. He then asked for her hand in marriage a few weeks after he dumped her on the small screen.
"Half Leeg" is an Afrikaans translation of "Last Rounds", originally created with Rebecca Makin-Taylor.
In 2017 "Last Rounds” was commissioned by Aardklop National Arts Festival especially for Cintaine Schutte.
"Half Leeg" has been presented at the Aardklop National Arts Festival, US Woordfees, ABSA KKNK, Vrystaat Arts Festival, and is finally playing to audiences in the Mother City.
"Half Leeg" tells the story of a girl waiting in a bar, for.... well, that's the question.
Imagine this…
It's 2 am. The barman has called last rounds. The Romantic sits in the corner, stirring her whiskey with a straw, watching the door, waiting for him to arrive... "
The production takes an intimate look at love, whiskey, good music, a sharp intersecting look at men, women and loneliness.
Cintaine recently won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 2018 Silwerskermfees for her role in "Die Seemeeu" – a film by Christiaan Olwagen which will be on the big screen from 15 March 2019.
“I am very privileged, I had a great year, I played at some arts festivals, I made my debut producing a show at a festival and I won the Best Supporting Actress award for my role in “Die Seemeeu".
Next year Cintaine will be jumping back into the court shoes of Katrien Nienaber when Fynskrif season 2 hit our TV screens.
“I sure we will see a lot more of Katrien in the second season, I’m just excited to see where the character’s storyline will be taken to,” says Cintaine.
On stage, she has spent much of 2018 travelling with "Half Leeg" and recently starred in and produced "Huishou", which premiered at Aardklop in October.
"Half Leeg" is directed by the 31-year-old Tara Notcutt - one of the most prolific directors of her generation, with 50 directing credits under her belt in just 10 years of working in theatre.
She is a celebrated independent director and producer, as well as Artistic Director of The Pink Couch, with a repertoire of award-winning and internationally travelling work under her belt.
Tara has won the Fleur du Cap Theatre Award Rosalie van der Gucht Prize for New Directors (2010), and the Baxter Theatre/GIPCA/ Theatre Arts Admin Collective Emerging Theatre Director’s Bursary (2010).
"Half Leeg" is playing at the Alexander Bar, Café and Theatre (76 Strand Street) until Saturday, 17 November.
If you are seeking a hangout this week, go check out this stunning one-hander at 7pm nightly.
Tickets are R120 at the door, and R100 if you book online, and bookings can be made through Alexander Bar, or at
The Alexander is indeed an intimate little gem of a bar-theatre space in the heart of the CBD and you can sip on a cold one while watching the performance.
Cintaine will make your night out, a definite worth it with her talent bringing this witty and sharp script to life!
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