SamSays

On the square III: Post Script

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On the square III: Post Script

Theatre is female. Daphne opened the door, Regina called me in, Sharon took me with her and Sam showed me everything. These are all my girls, I love them with impunity, they loved me and I love them forever. After I took the “Dress Code” script, I experienced some turbulence. Me and Regina were at loggerheads and she didn’t want me at the theatre anymore. I had defied, disrespected her and my time working as stage manager was done! I was tired of being bossed around, she was tyrannical and condescending. She never missed the opportunity to remind me that I owed her for the job. It was unfair and inaccurate, I landed the job myself. I talked to Daphne, I was at the theatre every week watching shows, the theatre needed help with operations and they approached me to help and I accepted. Regina switched everything around, it was I who needed the job, I was lucky to be there and she was the one who hired me not Daphne. I went with what she said because I needed to be there so I can understand the landscape and be apart of theatre. She started with that narrative very early on, one the first day and she was on top from the very first day. She dominated me, she was overbearing, she humiliated me, every time Daphne paid me, she made it a point to ask me how much she had paid me. After my response she would proceed on reminding me how lucky I was I had that job. I was doing the job, I was perfect at it, I was an asset to theatre and yet I was in bondage to her! She used to tell me every day that this was her theatre. Her demeanor was narcissistic. I hated that. I knew I wasn’t going to last from the first day she took that R100 from me, I knew I would turn on her sooner rather than later. What she didn’t understand is that I wasn’t motivated by money or fear, I was doing this for the love. That gave me the edge to be strategic because I wasn’t afraid of losing the job, I welcomed it if it meant I couldn’t work with dignity. She wanted your balls for that paycheck and my balls were mine. I dislike being micromanaged, I prefer to work with autonomy and space, I will do the job perfect if not I will take responsibility for the down fall. I don’t need to be put down and reprimanded in front of an audience, that won’t give you the best results. The truth is that me taking that script was premeditated, I was being spiteful, I wanted her to see and acknowledge me, it was my receipt for everything and my way of showing her that I was pretty narcissistic too. The script had other uses too, I took it to get close to the cast, I knew I wasn’t going to last at the theatre. I anticipated her response, she was outraged and played the victim when I was only reflecting her, I knew my position at the theatre was secured. I stayed away for a while but I’ll be back.

Now that I wasn’t working at the theatre anymore, I connected with Sharon. When we were together working on the “Dress Code”, she said she wanted to take me with her after “Dress Code”. I never forgot that. I told her the theatre didn’t have space for me anymore and reminded her of what she said. She acquiesced and stuck to her word giving me tickets to her shows. When I talked to her, she was there, responding with speed, attention and care. It would have been easy to dismiss me but she didn’t. When theatre had turned it’s back on me and I had nothing, she was there, she was theatre and she was the best. Her show with Allen Committee “Same Time, Next Year” at Montecasino was awesome, she mesmerized me, such talent, I was in awe and she took me to Montecasino, something that raised my spirits because I was not on the square anymore. I will never forget Sharon Spiegel-Wagner, she was there for me, she’s the reason I stayed with theatre and she did it alone. She did take me with her, after the square, I was at two of her shows. I got VIP treatment, I had the best seats and got to see her and hug her after the show. Only good feelings about Sharon.

I came back on the square to watch some shows and was a regular again. They had some kid who replaced me. Good kid, good energy and we connected quite well but to be honest he wasn’t better than me. I was not intimidated at all, in fact I was relieved. True, I do have a bias that makes me think I am the best but I also give credit where it’s due. I didn’t think this new kid was going to last. I thought Regina was going to eat him up! I was happy he was there because he gave me space to maneuver around. With him around I’d be at the theatre more often and have zero responsibilities whilst engaging and living with the people in the theatre. The last time I was there, I didn’t control the narrative, I worked there for a month and towards the end I was painted as an asshole. A label I welcome because I had to be one. With the new kid there, I’d paint my picture, they would see me for who I was and not through unfair projections that weighed me down. I would interact with the staff and help out where necessary whilst avoiding being micromanaged and taking orders from the boss. It was perfect, let him do the job, I’ll take the credit, my plan was long-term. It worked out pretty well, the theatre was home again, every time I showed up I was greeted with a cold beverage and the staff absolutely loved me. When the theatre was packed I assisted the staff and Daphne would give me something in terms of monetary compensation. It was part-time work but I got what I wanted, I was working with autonomy. The new kid didn’t last, he was my replacement but I was working alongside him. I was doing his job better than him. He was the second replacement who couldn’t replace me, oh well at least he worked for a couple of months. After months of labor, Regina finally let down her guard and welcomed me back to the theatre. She gave me back my R100 and I apologized for taking the script, I acknowledged it was a jerk move and we have a new relationship. The truth is that I’ve been an asshole at times, I did her and the theatre wrong, I am not perfect. Still, she forgave me multiple times and tried to show me what was right. I realize that she fought with me so much because she cared. She was the only person who cared. She wanted me to do the right thing. I love her for that even though at times I couldn’t communicate that. Yes, I was selfish and egotistical but it was a defense mechanism. The world had not been kind to me. She gave me everything, she gave me a chance, she took me me in and I will always be grateful for that. I love her the best. Love flows, we are cool.

One day I came in to watch “Vincent”, a show I knew pretty well. It was their second run, their first run was successful. The show is highly acclaimed and was always sold out. I served as a member of the production team on the first run and I was happy to be a part of the crowd for the second. That’s when I met Sam of SamSays and we connected right away, with the greatest of ease. It was so easy talking to Sam, everything flowed. She was a theatre enthusiast and knew everything and everyone. She reviewed shows and went all around the country. We talked about theatre and the Springboks, the World Cup final was playing that day All Blacks vs. Springboks, a game we won! It was a perfect day, “Vincent” was a masterpiece and we won the World Cup. I followed her on her socials and we have been close ever since. She has taken me everywhere! She recommends the best shows and she helps out in every way possible. No hyperbole, Sam is the best thing that has happened to me in the world of theatre. She expanded my horizon and I met new and awesome people because of her. Her reviews are great and I rate her very highly. I never would have met Sam if I didn’t take that “Dress Code” script, I never would have connected with Sharon Spiegel-Wagner if it weren’t for that script. Taking that script is the best thing I’ve ever done. Theatre loves me post that script.

Matilda Jr.

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Matilda Jr.

At the Peoples Theatre, Joburg Theatre for the opening of Matilda Jr. I was so excited for this one! As a kid, I used to love the movie. To be honest, I still love it today. I would never dare change the channel if it’s on. Nostalgia, it takes me back to simpler times. A time when I yearned for telekinetic powers to defeat and outwit my bullies. I truly loved the show, it had me laughing and reminiscing all the way. There’s nothing better than hearing a child’s laughter, the show had that effect. Everyone was entertained, it is mellow, humorous, light and family-friendly.

The set is colorful and the transition between scenes is seamless and efficient. Everyone knew their cues and the show just flowed. I absolutely loved Peo-entle Pitso as Matilda. She is sharp witted and fast. She performs with a lot of love, she’s mischievous, she sings and she’s convincing, she is simply brilliant! One for the future. Luciano Zuppa is straight-up Miss Trunchbull. Musculine, crooked teeth, towering and intimidating. Raymond Skinner as Mr. Wormwood is definitely my favorite. He has zero regard for reading and derisively calls Matilda a “bookworm”. It’s crazy that Matilda has read “Crime and Punishment”, I agree with his father’s assessment. He ultimately gets in trouble with the Russian mafia for his shady deals. Jordan Rogers is gorgeous and enjoyable as Mrs. Wormwood. She is materialistic and wants the good life. She also doesn’t understand Matilda and she doesn’t waste her time trying to, she’d rather spend time with her boy toy, dancing with her wedding ring out of sight. Amelia Stephens is simple as Miss Honey. Long dresses, clean presentation, tame and a calm demeanor. I laughed out loud when Matilda asked if she was poor. Yes, she is poor. However she is kind, caring and empathetic – qualities that make her a great teacher and she gets the big house at the end.

Amazing show, the kids are in sync and well practiced. They sang, they danced and they delivered lines with precision. The writing is fabulous, everything and everyone is fabulous! Highly recommended, wonderful, wonderful show!

Directed by Jill Girard and Sandy Richardson-Dyer
Musical Director – Coenraad Rall
Set Design – Grant Knottenbelt

Congratulations to the Peoples Theatre and the whole team for a great show and a deserved standing ovation.

KENTE

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KENTE

Spent the day as an observer for Sam, SamSays on the credits. She told me to check out the Gibson Kente lecture. I was enthused, Soweto theatre, of course, let’s go! Always wanted to come to Soweto but I hadn’t found probable cause, Sam put together content, theatre and Brenda Fassie to get me there, that my good man is an offer you can’t refuse – The Gibson Kente annual lecture. Before this I didn’t know much about Gibson Kente so I did my research and learned much about him. Legendary playwright, composer, director and producer born in the township like me 🙋🏽‍♂️, started a theatre in the township, collaborated with Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu on his first play titled “Manana, The Jazz Prophet” – a play that depicted gangsterism. Sello Maake ka-Ncube called him the “Godfather of theatre” and he trained more than 400 artists including Brenda Fassie and Mbongeni Ngema. Let’s not forget wrote songs for Miriam Makeba and Letta Mbulu. Oh, thank you for the great pass Sam! It was an awesome day, I learned a lot, it was supreme, the Soweto theatre is beautiful, what a design, the colors, the outdoors vibe, the modern architecture is beautiful! The place is a piece of art. A great place to lose yourself, the sound is crisp, wonderful acoustics, I felt like I was in an oven being cooked but it wasn’t hell, it was pleasurable, like closing your eyes listening to your favorite music, theatre is wonderful, performance arts, an imitation of life, art, it makes life worth living because without it it’s just boredom and death. Definitely one of the best theatres I’ve been to, spacious and comfortable, accommodative and bakes you, temperature slow burning, chilled and relaxed. There is plenty of space for parking, it’s easy to get there, outside area to chill and great art to look at. The Soweto Theatre is pretty awesome! I enjoyed the lecture, it was insightful and educative, quite specular, I am inspired, Gibson Kente is a legend, 23 plays and I want to see them all! The subject matters he explored are about everyday living and life, the black experience, township life, human nature, hope, death. He dealt with what it meant to be human and alive, fought against apartheid and believed in freedom and human dignity. It was an experience and enthusiasm reigned, people connected, energy flowed, loved beamed, the lights emitted, the sound crisp and the stream of consciousness was oscillating in a high vibration. It was a day for theatre. All the theatre people were there, I am talking about directors, actors, legends, writers and producers. I also met a friend I was first acquainted with On the Square (Theatre on the Square, Sandton) who produced a show titled “From Soweto with smiles” Mojalefa Mogagabe, a talented creative I was happy to engage with. Kente, the father of black theatre, SamSays on the credits.

I usually come in an hour before the show, to prepare my mind for the experience, take in everything, be comfortable with the scenario, acquaint yourself with the environment and it was not any different this time. I came in nice and early to Jabulani, I love the fact that the theatre is in the township. I made friends. I was home. When you travel all around you realize that people are the same, we are motivated by the same things, we all want the same things, we wear the same things and we even look alike. The faces are different but we still connected, we could still be friends. I even got myself a Kota, what I eat when I am at home. The township (Kasi) is amazing, it’s the people, the community, diverse cultures, all crammed into one, we may be different but we co-exist as one, the pulse is one because all of humanity is one. Soweto is a breeding place for stories, content and inspiration roams all around, it is the place that made Gibson Kente, he told his peoples’ stories, he brought solace to those who needed it, he reflected and made sense of reality, he was a pillar, he entertained, he made people forget, he inspired, he is forever, Kente, the father of black theatre.

Dr. Andile Xaba the lecturer of the program is a great teacher, knowledgeable, prepared, articulate, passionate and has a lot of love for the arts. He grew up in Soweto and knew Gibson Kente, he was influenced and inspired by him. I learned a lot from him. It was a great lecture that covered Kente’s whole life. It was thorough and informative. iComplete and the band were amazing, heavenly voices, sharply dressed in all black, they were the tempo of the day, smooth and sophisticated. The violinist, Tshegofasto Matabane blew me away! She is so talented, showed so much focus and attention when she was playing the violin, it sounded so beautiful. Shoutout to the Artistic Director of the show James Ngcobo, the program was wonderful, it was an incredible day. It was an experience, my taste, while we chilled outside waiting for the lecture to commence we were treated to some wonderful Jazz music, it was a treat. Counselor Lubabalo Magwentshu provided the Keynote Address. Nomathemba Matu a student of Gibson Kente was the guest speaker sharing entertaining stories about his mentor. She shared life lessons with the audience. She is an amazing storyteller and I was engaged, I took what she had to say to heart. Her perspective humanized Gibson Kente, she made him a person. She was relatable. Soweto is awesome! I enjoyed the performances, everything was masterfully executed. The whole event was well coordinated and professional. One word to describe the event, “Masterpiece”. It was honestly the best day of my life. Kente, the father of black theatre, SamSays on the credits.

The great man
ANTAKALIPA

The good white

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The good white

Opening of “The good White” at the Market Theatre. I love the Market Theatre, the place was vibrant and buzzing. Even posed for a couple of pictures – press time.

A different perspective to the #feesmustfall and #rhodesmustfall movements. The story follows Professor Simon Whitehead, a senior ranking official of the University, his Zimbabwean colleague who plans to launch his book on Decolonization and his colored wife who also holds a high position at the University. It is set in a world of unrest and desolation, a world where the youth feel betrayed by the current system and the leaders that preceded it. Nelson Mandela preached “rainbownism”, he didn’t change anything, the systems of apartheid are still in place. Apartheid still roams but in a different form, with new and fancy terminologies. While real people still suffer, inequality rife and students can’t afford schooling. Everything is blamed on the white man; the patriarchy, apartheid, inequality, racism, no access to education – all him! It is a world that unsympathetic to the white man, it is even played for comic relief and features as a running gag, you’ll hear Simon saying “the white man has no feelings, everything is his fault” as a way to defuse the tension. It is a world that keeps kicking Professor Simon Whitehead in the head. He is in a cold, loveless and detached relationship with a woman who cheats on him with his Zimbabwean colleague. For the woman, the relationship is purely transactional, white man married to a colored woman, diversity, it’s good for PR. She won’t even say “I love you”, instead she says “do you need me to love you”? Eventually, they separate.

This is a brilliant play, the writing by Mike van Graan is the hero and the acting just world-class. The show has a lot, the characters have personality and the script wit. Shonisani Masutha is powerful, I loved her poetry and the emotion in her words. She plays a character from the township whose parents are deseased. She is angry and in protest – she demands change! Renate Stuurman plays the wife, she is harsh and insensitive at times, very antagonistic, could be because of her past, apartheid, her family was moved from Wynberg to the Cape Flats. Vusi Kunene plays the Zimbabwean colleague, his book launch is hilarious, it was chaos, there was protesting and the township girl undressed in front of everyone. Russel Savadier is Professor Simon Whitehead – I just felt sorry for the white man.

The scenes and the lighting are seamless and just flow. Totally loved the set, it is subtle, minimalistic and compact with three stages all in all, one to the left, one to the right and one in the middle that has retractable seats that can be pushed back inside. Hovering above the middle stage are signs that demand:

Decolonize education
Free quality education

feesmustfall

Education is not a privilege
Senzeni Na
Fees with what money
Asinamali
Free education is possible

Congratulations Greg Homann and the whole team for a great show and a deserved standing ovation.

Malo and the maiden

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Malo and the moon maiden

There is nothing better than a show at the Cirk. Janice Honeyman, panto, Beauty and the Beast – even better! I was excited for this show and it didn’t disappoint. It was grand, daring, dangerous and bold. From the moment you walked in, there was a circusy feeling. The mood was light, zany and fun. This was enforced through the colorful, upbeat and clown music. The set evoked the feeling of the circus with red and white curtains on either side and on top. Right in the middle was a painting of the performers performing in the circus. It’s a colorful atmosphere as exhibited with red noses and the eccentric costumes.

Nothing better than a show at the Cirk. The aerialists and acrobats are simply unbelievable! Devilishly dangerous, your heart is always in your mouth but you can’t look away because it’s breath-takingly beautiful. It’s jaw-dropping stuff, so graceful and done with a contagious smile that radiates. The acrobats were spinning in the air like tops, never got dizzy too, except for the evil ringmaster, he got dizzy and fell to his death. I have beef with the evil ringmaster, started off when he threatened to send my favorite character (the donkey) to the knackers for glue. After that I figured, he is not a pleasant fellow. The sound of his whip reverberates in the auditorium, it is menacing, threatening and a slaves worst nightmare. I love that the strongest man in the world was lifting weights over a 100000 kg, the audience were rooting for him to bend open the bars of the cage that Melodia Luna was trapped in and he did it, he saved the day! Everyone in the theater cheered.

Hoops, silks and ropes, the acrobats were swinging and flying all over the room. The best bodies in the world, with muscles in the right areas, defined, athletic and just olympic. It’s amazing how elastic and flexible they are – they do it in the air. God’s glory, mastery, hard word, dedication, for that moment, you slayed it! On the ground, there’s vocalists and dancers performing simultaneously. The vocalists have range and personality, they command your attention, they are the show! The show was interactive, as the audience, we got to do the Mexican wave led by the performers on the stage. They also asked questions and asked us to play and participate along. Perfect day at the theatre.

Directed by: Janice Honeyman
Original score: Wessel Odendaal
Set & lighting design: Wilhelm Disbergen

Starring Daniel Buckland as Malo, Claudia Moruzzi as Melodia Luna and Yahto Kraft as the evil ringmaster.

Congratulations Janice Honeyman and the whole team for a great show and a deserved standing ovation.

Bee Gees show

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Bee Gees show

Joburg Theatre, the Bee Gees show, we came in a bit earlier, thought the show was at 7:30 pm. Oh well, being early never hurt anybody, relax, it’s chilly, it’s cold, let’s get some hot chocolate, the show starts at 8:00 pm.

We watched people enter, excitement, a turn out, while we were waiting for the show, “Across 110th street” is playing on the speaker, priming people for the experience. It was a fantastic show as expected. Showtime Australia the culprits, fingerprints all over. Incredible performers, they were totally in sync with us, the audience, even gave us 3 bonuses after we demanded for more, but that’s expected, how can you stop the show after “Staying Alive” – highly improbable. They also performed “You should be dancing”, “Tragedy, “Jive Talking”, Nights on Broadway”, “Night Fever”, “More than a woman”, “Spicks and Specks”, “Words”, “Massachusetts”, “Don’t forget to Remember” and other hits and classics.

Zac Coombs, Andre Behnke and Warren Vernon-Discoll are the incredible vocalists. I saw Prince on keyboards, the talented Dale Ray. The Electric guitarist was on super God mode, outstanding as usual. The drums, guitars, piano, keyboard, singing, everything was executed to great fanfare and engagement with the fans. Everyone delivered. Amazing show that encapsulates the spirit of the 60’s and 70’s, like a time capsule. Congratulations Showtime Australia and the whole team for a great show and a deserved standing ovation.

The Fall

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The Fall

I was at the Market Theatre for the opening of “The Fall”. The place was filled to the brim and gushing onto the floor. So much so that the auditorium couldn’t accommodate everybody with seats, some people sat on the steps. The venue was exuding radiant energy and it was contagious. Excitement was in the air and everyone was beaming. I also met Bongiwe Potelwa, Yay! Thank you for the invite Bongi.

Set in 2015 at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. This piece of protest theatre explores issues of race, decolonization, social inequality, upbringing, the #rhodesmustfall movement and the #feesmustfall movement. It follows 7 students with different perspectives, backgrounds and ideals, united by one cause bringing down the statue of Cecil Rhodes. The statue is a symbol of colonization and it doesn’t reflect the current times and ideals of an African University. Instead it divides and perpetuates racism among the students and the staff. It is a symbol of oppression, privilege and the white man’s dominion. It is like a persistent dark cloud hanging over them. The students converge and discuss the possibility of bringing it down. One student suggests taking it down with a chisel and hammer, while another contemplates a truck. Ultimately, the statue is taken down with the help of a helicopter but problems still persist. It is announced that tertiary fees will increase by 12%. This enrages the students of UCT, it’s not like they could afford the fees before the increase. A lot of students are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. They rely on government aids and loans to continue with their education. NSFAS is not always the answer, sometimes they don’t approve applications and when they do you have to prove to them that you are poor. Of course you are poor, that’s why you are trying to build a better life for yourself and your family but the government are making it so hard. The students get together and discuss their right to free education. This results in a protest and the #feesmustfall movement is born. Stellenbosch University students join and it spreads like a wildfire resulting in a nationwide shut-down of all universities in the country.

The show tells the story of the two movements beautifully. It also explores feminism, masculinity, racism and inequality. It’s easy to relate with the characters, they are real and the conversations between them are naturalistic. Like conversations with your friends, they are free, open, funny and silly. They are not hindered by language, instead they mash it up, communicating in a way that feels authentic to the characters. African languages are integrated because the characters are South African. You can see yourself in their image and hence relate and emphasize with them and their struggles. The actors on the stage are brilliant and captivating, it is a performers paradise. They fully inhabited the characters worlds. It was convincing, it felt as though they were telling their own personal stories. From voice intonation, usage of the stage, monologues, singing, protests – it is a masterclass.

I loved everything about the show, shout out to the cast:

Tankiso Mamabolo
Sihle Shona
Sizwesandile Mnisi
Tshepo Matlala
Mosehlana Mamaregane
Kevin Narain
Leche Tangee

Congratulations Mahlatsi Mokgonyana, Billy Langa and the whole team for a superb show and a deserved standing ovation.

Pieces of me

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Pieces of me

I was at the Market Theatre for the opening of “Pieces of me” by Bo Petersen. A poignant play about family, belonging, race and identity. Set in the era of apartheid, the story world is plagued by inequality, segregation and racism. A time of the bompass, when you had to carry your identification documents at all times to gain access to parts of the country. This law severely limited the movements of black South Africans and was viciously enforced by the police with violence and jail time being norm for perpetrators who didn’t have their identification documents at hand. A time of Prohibition of mixed marriages act, an act that made it illegal for a white person to marry any other race, the immortality act, an act that barred sexual relations between whites and non-whites, transgressors could face up to 7 years in prison and the infamous Group Areas act that designated certain areas for certain races among other stringent, harsh and unfair acts.

Pieces of me explores Bo’s life, about how her father classified as “colored” marries her mother classified as “white” and the emotional toll of having to live in secrecy because of the laws imposed on them. After falling in love and having having 5 children together, her father passes off as white, a lie if discovered could send him to prison for 10 years and destroy the family.

Bo Petersen tells the story from different perspectives, her father’s, aunts and grandmother, breaking the fourth wall at times to talk to the audience to make them feel what she felt. The message is powerful and emotive. The acting unbelievable! She also enacts the roles of her aunt, father and grandmother. She is a great storyteller and inhabits all the stage. She is expressive with her body, language and overall demeanor. The set although minimalistic is effective. The hanging suit serves as a homage to her father, it has a presence, a spirit of its own and Bo interacts with it. The lighting nuanced and intimate. Christopher Petersen plays the keyboard and he sets the tone for the play, working alongside Bo to curate the story throughout.

Powerful story.
Powerful performer.

Congratulations Royston Stoffels for a great show and a deserved standing ovation.

INGRID ‘N VLAM IN DIE SNEEU

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INGRID ‘N VLAM IN DIE SNEEU

We attended the premiere of this beautiful adaptation of a tragic South African love story last night. A musical and poetic story revealed by the published collection of letters in Vlam in die Sneeu: Die liefdesbriewe tussen Jonker en Brink, love letters exchanged between Ingrid Jonker and Andre Brink and spanning the length of their relationship between 21 April 1963 and 27 April 1965.

It was a passionate and volatile relationship and they loved each other fiercely.

3 months after writing her last letter to Andre, Ingrid committed suicide by walking into the freezing Atlantic Ocean in Three Anchor Bay and drowning.

I loved this production – a glimpse into the lives and love of two beloved South Africans. Lizelle Pike is beautiful as Ingrid. Ethereal, broken, fragile, giddy with happiness at times and deeply sad at others, overwhelmed by the love she feels for her daughter, Simone, lost, lonely, abandoned, deliriously in love, and eventually defeated. She conveys the essence of Ingrid perfectly – a literary icon with raw emotions, who loved fiercely. I love how light footed she is and the attention to detail – the barefoot girl, in the long red shirt. The blue coat. The yellow teddy bear. The waves crashing.

Poet and writer Jak J Brits weaves Ingrid’s words into a powerful narrative enriched by original compositions and his adaptation allows her poetry to resonate with the modern audience.

The emotions of the piece are interwoven with original new music inspired by Jonker’s poetry. The songs are beautiful and fitting as musical director and pianist Chanie Jonker accompanies Lizelle on stage. It’s haunting!

The direction by Nadia Beukes, Tiaan Kirsten-Lubbe, and Lian Sachse sees Lizelle Pike sometimes delicate and sometimes raw – no matter what, Ingrid’s spirit and voice is always heard.

She was complex, passionate and deeply human. We feel all of her emotions, desires, doubt, and longing and witness her battles with the dark shadows of depression, the same shadows that took her mother.

Presented by Scenario Productions and Die Centurion Teater

Review by SamSays

Life and times of Micheal K

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Life and times of Micheal K

Just when you think you have seen it all, something you haven’t seen comes along and blows you away.

I was at the Market Theatre to watch “The Life and Times of Micheal K”, a novel by JM Coetzee adopted by Lara Foot. The story is told through puppetry and physical theatre. The story is of a man named Michael K, who along with his very sick mother make an arduous journey from Cape Town to her mother’s rural birthplace in Prince Albert amid a fictitious civil war during the apartheid era. To get there Michael K builds a shoddy rickshaw to carry her mother. Along the way they head into some trouble, they don’t have the right paperwork and permits and the little money they have gets confiscated by soldiers. His mother ends-up in the hospital and passes on. She is cremated. Alone, dejected, hungry and with nothing Micheal K carries on the journey to Prince Albert to scatter her dead mother’s ashes. Along the way, he is exploited for cheap labor and he goes through an intense starvation period. Soldiers also misidentify him as a rebel and keep him hostage but he survives and escapes finding his way back to his mother’s apartment in Cape Town. It is revealed that Micheal K has a deformity, a cleft lip and because of this deformity people tend to treat him like he is lesser, slow.

The story-telling with the puppets is amazing. The puppets mimiced the real life movements of humans. The puppet masters understand the human anatomy, how the leg moves and the bend of the knee when the foot touches the base. The movements of the puppets were realistic. Somehow the puppets even had facial expressions, a testament to their realism. Supplemented in was the voice-actors, they breathed in life to the puppets, the puppets were panting, moaning, laughing and just communicating like any other ordinary human being. The puppets moved the story. The manipulators worked in tandem to achieve the desired effect, double teaming in groups of threes or four per puppet to move the limbs, while others lend their voices and manipulated the torso and head. I loved how the goat puppet was manipulated, it moved like a real goat. My favorite scene was the swimming scene, it was so intense. The team chemistry is beautiful. They are deliberate, concise and work with care. Every movement has a purpose, every detail added to the story. With Kyle Shepherd on the score, the show is poignant and emotional. Story-telling techniques like deliberate silence were used to make the audience reflect and take in the significance of what just transpired. After a while, you even forgot about the manipulators, the puppets came alive and told the story.

That was an amazing show, story-telling perfection is my humble opinion. I loved everything about the show, the sets, the props, the lighting, puppets and the music. The 2 hours watching fly, because you are having so much fun. It’s a story-telling masterclass, it’s different, innovative and inspiring. Shout-out to the Handspring Puppet Company, those puppets are just awesome!

Basil JR Jones and Adrian P Kohler are the Puppet Directors

Puppet Masters are:
Sandra Prinsloo
Andrew Buckland
Faniswa Yisa
Craig Leo
Carlo Daniels
Roshina Ratnam
Billy Langa
Marty Kintu
Nolufefe Ntshuntshe
Markus Schabbing

Congratulations Lara Foot and the whole team for a great show and a deserved standing ovation.