Theatre review: New Boy

Review:  New Boy.

Directed by:  Russell Labey,

First published in Sunday Independent:  1 November ‘09

Review:  Astrid Stark

Dissecting the nature of our sexuality.

At best relationships are difficult to negotiate and understand. For many of us they are complex and confusing melting pots of emotion as, in the throes of love, we watch all logic disintegrate. Sometimes we have to go right back to the beginning to and try and untangle its roots.  This is theme that New Boy explores; the young adult’s entry into emotional and sexual maturity that lays the foundation for his rest of his life. 

The school’s new boy, Barry, played by Stephen Jubber, is devilishly handsome, elusive and a virgin.  Mark, played by Clive Gilson, is a skinny, pale boy with a rather large chip on his shoulder. He is desperate to get his sex life jump started and through Barry he starts exploring his own sexuality.  Mark cunningly sets Barry up with the prettiest girls at school and then fluctuates wildly between his own feelings for women and men, yet he’s reluctant to explore his own sexuality until he meets Barry’s sister. In his mind the female version of Barry is just what he needs. However he is in complete denial of his own sexual identity that is trying to emerge. 

Director, Russell Labey, who edited Gus Van Sant’s film Milk, adapted New Boy from the novel by William Sutcliffe.  He also directs the play.  Labey’s writing bristles with sharp humour and heart-wrenching truths about the human condition. Quite a lot of profanity punctuates the boys’ journey as they wrestle with their sexual identity and the stereotypical roles that are enforced on them by society.  It’s is a most poignant ‘coming out of the closet’ story that aims to understand our sexual orientation by going right back to the start; painfully dissecting each emotion along the way.   The two boys’ exploits soon spirals out of control with heartbreaking consequences and a reflection by Clive Gilson’s character; “It is sad. The friends you lose along the path of finding yourself.”  There are a number of plot lines which makes the play accessible to a wide audience and it should not be mistaken for a story about gays and only for gays. It is rather an exploration of relationships, growing up, and self-discovery.

Gilson as the main protagonist, Mark, delivers a mesmerising and flawless performance. His petulant adolescent behaviour that hampers his own development will probably resonate with a lot of audiences. His rocky journey of unearthing his own identity is at times painful and often humorous.    Jubber’s performance as the hunky Barry is quite saucy and entertaining.  Whereas Mark over analyses every situation, Barry just seems to exist comfortably within his skin, which irritates Mark to no end.  Yet, despite Mark’s desperate attempts to understand himself and the world, it is the rather dull and unimaginative Barry that finds himself first. 

Nicole France delivers a sharp performance as the French teacher, Mrs Mumford.  Mrs Mumford falls for Barry’s charms, abandons her husband and children, and becomes a bit of a hippy.  Of course Mark, who set the two up in the first place, is consumed by jealousy and tries all sorts of evil tricks to drive the star-struck lovers apart. Gahlia Phillips’s performance as Louise, Barry’s sister, is as skilled as the rest of the cast, though she plays a smallish part.

There are splashes of nudity which gives the play its PG16 rating and quite a lot of pillow talk that will possibly make more conservative theatre goers squirm. However it is all balanced by a good dose of humour and a sensitive approach to difficult issues

Leopold Senekal’s stage design is one of the most detailed I have seen this year; clearly no expenses spared. The stage is turned into a schoolroom, a locker room – complete with a fully functional shower – and a bedroom.  It lends an added air of professionalism to an already polished performance.  New Boy is a must see play for anyone who has ever fallen in or out of love and those who enjoy exploring the very nature of relationships.

New Boy runs at The NewSpace Theatre until 15 November 2009.

THE END

 

 

New theatre opens its doors in Cape Town

New Cape Town theatre opens its doors.

First published in the Sunday Independent, 21 October ‘09

By Astrid Stark

 

Cape Town’s theatre industry appears to be thriving despite the economic downturn.  The New Africa Theatre Association NATA, in partnership with the Royal Dramatic Theatre of Sweden, has lifted the curtains on The New Africa Theatre in Sybrand Park with award-winning Ian Bruce’s new play, Transit.

 

Ian Bruce, who is also the Managing Director of NATA, has won among others, the Fleur du Cap award for his most recent work, Groundswell, which has travelled to New York and Stockholm.  Bruce, a keen anti-apartheid campaigner, has been with NATA since 1998.  Here he works with marginalised communities and, together with his wife, he has written several educational and industrial theatre pieces.

 

The New Africa Theatre is situated along the Klipfontein corridor which borders Athlone and Rondebosch. This makes the venue accessible to Cape Town audiences from the flats’ side as well as Southern Suburb audiences. Bruce explains the thinking behind the theatre’s location. “We have great potential to reach audiences from both sides of the apartheid created dividing line,” says Bruce. “We need this in Cape Town as theatres closer to the central business district are still inaccessible to most Capetonians.  Attracting new audiences to the city theatres, no matter what effort you make, is always restricted by distances, transport and the cost of tickets. We have to still find out how successful we will be, but we believe we are in a much better position to reach marginalised audiences.” Bruce says their vision is to be able to offer good shows while keeping the costs down.

 

The New Africa Theatre, which used to be a supermarket, is an 80-seater box theatre which Bruce says has the potential to grow a lot bigger. “We actually have architect’s plans to renovate and re-appoint the whole building so that both the academy and the theatre can expand,” says Bruce.  

Sybrand Park is a quiet, little known, suburb with a culturally diverse middle class population which is starting to ignite the imagination of home-buyers and small businesses. “Transit is set in a small space although the story has vast resonances across two continents,” he explains, “I think our little box theatre is like that.  It’s a small space, in a historically resonant area, where we expect to tell many and far-reaching stories.”

 

Clare Stopford directs Transit which tells the tale of an ill-fated flight from Cape Town to Stockholm.  The plane is detoured by a storm and is forced to make an unscheduled stop in a North African country; which has been destabilised by rebels.  An assortment of Europeans and Africans are forced to wait in the claustrophobic transit area of a military airport. The passengers engage with each other in opportunistic, manipulative, and even physical ways that has sweeping consequences. “My script accommodates a descriptive clash of African and European aspirations and anxieties,” says Bruce, “But it also becomes, more importantly for our times, a cross-continental drama of human need, resilience and possibility.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Bruce, writing about the relationship between two continents was difficult, “I didn’t really get the concept right until we had the mixed cast together,” he says, “What we did have was the situation, the metaphor, a kind of suspension somewhere that was neither Europe nor Africa. This became an airport, and the airport became smaller and smaller until it was an all but abandoned military aerodrome in a North African country. That made it uncomfortable and intense enough to ensure that the characters could not avoid interfering with each other or revealing things about themselves.”

 

Pernilla Luttropp of The Royal Dramatic Theatre of Sweden (Dramaten) is also the project leader of NATA. She will be collaborating with Bruce for three months before returning to Sweden. She says she’s enjoying working with the students at The New Africa Theatre. “Teaching them how they can contribute to the future of the new venue by doing outreach programmes,” says Luttropp.  “My vision for NATA is that it will be an institution where young people can start on a new journey in life that could end up in one of all the professions within and around the theatre industry. I hope they will be able to form a theatre company for the new venue and that students will get the possibility to learn all the different skills of theatre.”

 

True to Bruce’s script, the cast of Transit consists of a mixture of African and European actors.   The established and upcoming actors include Mbulelo Grootboom who graduated at New Africa Theatre in 1998, Bulelewa Sylvia Ntlantlu from Delft that graduated at NATA in 2008, and Melinda Kinnaman, Peshang Rad and Christina Samson from Sweden.   They are joined by a West African Griot, a travelling musician, Aboubacar Ladji Kánte.  Bruce says Kánte was discovered on Facebook by a group of local musicians who asked him to teach them more about the Djambe. “In Transit Kánte plays himself, a griot,” says Bruce, “Even though he says very little, his music is very much a part of the play’s narrative, and his character is central to at least one of the play’s plot lines.”

 Bruce is positive about Cape Town’s theatre industry, “It’s expanding, growing stronger.  New theatre companies are emerging, launching new work and the current theatre venues are booked up far in advance. The voices of playwrights and directors seem to me to be growing stronger, clearer; more resonant. This has to grow; there are so many stories and there is so much talent in this city. Every week I meet young people with ideas. There’s exciting work coming out of the universities.”
Transit runs until 7 November at The New Africa Theatre in Sybrand Park, Cape Town.

 

The End.

 

Review: Le Franschhoek hotel’s restaurants: Le Verger and Relais Gourmand

First published on : http://travelblog.diyatravel.com/

Le Verger by day.

A visit to Le Franschhoek Hotel feels like being let in on a most exquisite secret.   The Cape Dutch style buildings are nestled in-between vineyards and an orchard; giving it a French chateau feeling.  The menu at the fine dining restaurant, Relais Gourmand, has been created by executive chef Darren Roberts and it’s a fusion of African dishes with Pacific Rim style cuisine. Le Verger is an outdoors restaurant that consists of individual glass conservatories scattered across the property. The sun streams in from all angles and it is spectacular to behold. Unfortunately Le Verger is closed for winter until end August. However, on my visit it is one of those crisp, sunny and wind still winter afternoons, and the staff made way for me to order from their fine dining menu at Le Verger restaurant.  

Executive chef, Darren Roberts

The chef has a taste for complex fusions and a blend of exotic tastes.  The starter portion of bishop stilton with roasted baby beetroot and Serrano ham salad with a decadent Champagne and walnut dressing is rich and simply melts into mouth.  For mains I had the grilled lobster tails with an oxtail tortellini, roasted bubble and squeak, baby onions and crustacean oil. This is an indulgent and decadent winter dish.  The portions are not large, but because of the complex ingredients, it is very filling and I had to decline dessert.  It is a special treat is to sip on a wine that has been harvested from the adjoining wine farm; there aren’t too many restaurants in the world that can boast this service.  Le Verger is the perfect venue for a long, lazy al fresco lunch during the sun drenched summer months.

 

Theatre review: partly god

Production:  partly god

Director : Lara Foot

Choreography: Ananda Fuchs, Sbonakaliso Ndaba, Ina Wichterich, John Linden, Alfred Hinkel and Jackie Manyaapelo.

Designer:  Craig Leo

Music Composed & Performed by: Neo Muyanga

Reviewer: Astrid Stark

 First published in Cape Times

 Disturbing entertainment seeks to offer message of hope.

 He is on his back. His legs are strapped to the arms of a rusted wheelbarrow.  Someone rushes at him and kicks violently at the wheelbarrow.    The force whips the captive man’s body into the air before it cracks back to the floor – shuddering.  Another man rushes at him; and another. The sadistic process is repeated countless times, with increased brutality, until the vicious mob’s energy is spent and the man’s body lies lifeless on the floor.

This scene performed by a troupe of Jazzart dancers embodies Partly God’s themes of trans-generational trauma, hatred, and xenophobia and mob violence.  Through the use of dance, music and poetry, the violent nature of humankind is dissected and exposed.  It is not an easy performance to watch; yet it’s morbidly fascinating. It is weird, violent and disturbing.

The performance’s narrative is that of a young man’s journey to find his father.  His spirit guide is a boy soldier that leads him along a path of hatred, fear and violence to eventual healing and enlightenment – thus supporting the notion that we are all partly god. The stage is filled with the writhing, lithe young bodies of 33 young dancers that tell this story of transcending violence and redemption. The dancers’ perfectly sculptured and toned bodies tell a story of complete dedication and rigid training.   

No less than six choreographers worked on this project and, to my taste, this resulted in various degrees of success and failure. A slow opening is followed by an uneven and not all too pleasing pace.  It may be said that dancing does not necessarily lend itself to a linear narrative, I find pleasing ebb and flow and an underlying, even if faint, rhythmic pulse to a production an essential ingredient.  At times the performance sagged and events were over-performed and endlessly repeated.  For Example Douglas Griffith’s portrayal as the protagonist enters a scene with his ‘father’.  Griffith’s character as the son seeks affection from his cold, father who aggressively rejects his son. Both actors’ performances are heart-breaking portrayals of the sadistic and masochistic relationships that we often nurture, and even seek out, in our quest for love and acceptance. It is beautifully choreographed and thought-provoking but it just carries on for far too long. I get it and want to move on. However perhaps this repetition is deemed necessary to drive the message home and ensures that it lingers on.   

That said, it appears as if the influence of so many, and varied, choreographers created astounding dance and movement combinations.  The exploration by the choreographers of our unique African rhythms and moves turns the spotlight on our distinctive style that will hopefully become ingrained in the world’s history of dance.  The dancers’ energy and passion is without fault.  It is difficult to highlight individual dancers as the entire cast is obviously completely committed to their craft. They glide across the stage and perform daring acts that involves masterful balancing and rhythm.

Set designer Craig Leo cathedral with ramps, platforms, and broken gothic arches creates an apocalyptic feeling.  A large net is suspended from the ceiling and it’s here that some of the most breathtaking action takes place.  Without wanting to give away too much; the net is used for heart racing stunts that only superbly trained, strong and confident dancers could accomplish with such ease and skill. The net becomes a metaphor for, among other things, a dividing wall that the dancers have to conquer. The net is the Berlin wall, Apartheid, hatred, and our own debilitating fear that we must overcome.  The result is a vivid, disturbing and brilliantly choreographed scene that lingers long after the show has ended.

The sound needs some attention as most of the poetry and spoken words were inaudible from the back.  Neo Muyanga’s original score of music sets the pace and mood of the performance reflecting the violence but also the themes of rebirth and hope.  Director Lara Foot says working without words, which is her usual theatrical medium, was at once challenging and liberating.  Her admiration for the dedicated cast has no bounds and she is a firm believer that dance and the arts can be the answer to the challenge of transcendence.

partly god runs at Artscape until October 25. The End.

The danger of narratives of hate (poem from partly god)

transgenerational violence.

I have to pass you my narrative
I’m sorry that it is one of shame
It was passed to me by my father
And before that by his father to him

You can wear it quietly
You can hide it somewhere on your person
You can try to peel it from your skin like an orange
But it will be there and it will be told

It is not yours, but it will become you
It is hungry and it will eat you
And it will kill you
As it has done me
As it has … done me

 

Theatre review: SwingTime

Review:  SwingTime

Artistic Director:  Sean Bovim

Lighting Design:  Patrick Curtis

Set Design: Karl Staub & YWorks

Reviewer:  Astrid Stark

First published in The Cape Times
Give ‘em the old Razzle Dazzle. 

It was a time of smoky cabaret halls where vaudeville dancers toyed with shorter hemlines and hairstyles, wore suspenders, and exposed their limbs; epitomising the liberated spirit of the flapper sub-culture.  It was the roaring twenties.  A time when the Great Depression and prohibition drove rebellious boys and girls underground in search of hedonistic pleasures.  Sean Bovim’s revamp of his 2003 production of SwingTime is an uncommon marriage between Swing and Ballet.  Bovim combines Broadway, jazz and frenetic Swing steps like the Charleston, Hop, Jive and Lindy, with the controlled and delicate beauty of Ballet.  Bovim himself admits, “Putting the Charleston en pointe is extremely hard on the knees and requires a superb sense of balance.”

The curtain rises with the Bovim Ballet troupe performing to the fabulous Sing Sing Sing made famous by Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman.  It takes a little while to wrap your head around the curious mixture of jazz and ballet, but the sheer delight on the dancers’ faces and the foot stomping music soon infects the crowd. 

Karl Staub & YWorks’ stage design is a breathtaking backdrop depicting a New York cityscape, complete with Empire State Building and twinkling lights. For the most part Bovim strategically places his dancers in front of the backdrop to great effect, though it may need another look before it could be considered fully effective. 

KLûK and CGDT, who designed the wardrobe for Bovim’s Tango Nights, again created the most exquisite masterpieces for SwingTime.  Slinky red satin dresses wildly twirl and glide as the dancers are swung through the air. Cute short flapper dresses that display generous amounts of flesh, and figure hugging hot pants around lithe ballet hips, had us all mesmerised.  It also helps that all 16 members of the cast are young, drop dead gorgeous, and glide about on slender limbs which are toned to perfection from punishing exercise regimes.

The musical score include Unforgettable, It had to be you, Mack the knife, Under my skin and many more adored Broadway, Big Band and Jazz hits.  What’s new to Bovim’s 2009 version of the production is the addition of vocalist Franscois Lliam who has performed in Jesus Christ Superstar and We Will Rock You.  I am not convinced of Lliam’s voice and performance as a sultry jazz crooner, but then I am a die-hard Sinatra fan, and so for me there really is only one velvety voiced croon master.  However, Lliam’s presence on stage adds a lovely personal touch instead of simply hearing the recorded music being played to dancing.  Another nice addition is the intermittent performance of a violinist, Francois Arzul.  Lliam only sings a selected few songs including Miss Jones, Fever, Mr Bojangles, and some others. 

The performance tells the story of Mr Bojangles which in turn is punctuated by the various songs and dancers.  Mr Bojangles – in his heyday – was the shining star of a Swing club.  The music takes us from Bojangles’ youthful romantic liaisons with guests at the club and playing rowdy drunken games with sailors, until he finds himself in his old age as lonely caretaker of the club; reminiscing about on his past pleasures.  The story line feels flimsy and can do with a bit more dramatic flourish. Maybe it’s the lighting, maybe it simply gets overwhelmed by the gorgeous, energetic cast, and the timeless music. It just does not really effectively gel the various dance performances together.  Grant Swift renders a heart wrenching performance of Mr Bojangles trying to do a youthful tap dance with his arthritic old body.

The dancing is energetic and the footwork fast and tricky. The choreography is at once old-school, fresh, weird and enchanting.  A dancer is gracefully lifted high into the air, she lands on her feet tapping to the Charleston before doing the splits; it looks very complicated and Bovim must be praised for his bravery and innovation.  At times the dancers seemed a little nervous and quite a few small mistakes slipped into an otherwise beautifully choreographed and interesting performance. 

SwingTime runs at The Baxter Theatre from Tuesdays – Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at     6pm   From 2-12 December the performance will be on at the Oude Libertas in Stellenbosch.

THE END