MY FATHER’S HAT

Aldo Brincat’s one-man show on the Musho Festival presents an enjoyable piece of theatre. (Review by Shika Budhoo)

Aldo Brincat’s one-man show, My Father’s Hat appearing on the 2009 Musho Festival, explored the relationship between three generations of men who have a connection to magic. Set against the backdrop of South Africa in the 80’s, Brincat presents the story of a family man struggling to survive and support his family as a children’s performer. A well-known children’s theatre practitioner, Brincat brings to stage specialist skills of mime, gestures, physical theatre and clowning. The show has an underlying theme of the need for economic stability in the entertainment industry, specifically children’s entertainment. The main theme: surviving the magic industry, with life happening all around: crisis, death, power, difference and struggle.

The audience is taken on a journey during which Brincat has to leave his family in a time of need to perform at a school to make money to survive. A trained magician, he explains how his talents were based on his father’s interest in magic, and it further explores how he gets his own son to help him in his magic tricks, but is later rejected by his son once the youngster is grown up. Brincat used masks to define characters further, and simple costume changes, for example a red nose and hat to mark his ‘kids performance’ scenes. The interaction between fathers and sons, in all instances were extremely vivid and was portrayed with absolute sincerity. Moments of mime and physical theatre were of a high standard from Brincat, his body moments and facial expressions detailed and precise.

An enjoyable piece of theatre that makes you think about your own connection with your father and what skills and life lessons you were able to gain from knowing your own ‘dad’, whatever type of dad he was: absent, trying…or both.

Comedic moments were achieved from true portrayal of children characters and interest in magic. One of the adult characters I particularly enjoyed was that of his Father’s work friend, an extremely well played part. I was a bit confused at times as to the progression of the plot, as Brincat jumped from present to past (flashback) and hence the story at times was blurred.

The show had an optimistic ending to the lifestyle of a struggling magician, I particularly liked the linking of the first image presented to the last. The first image, Brincat mimes the planting of a coin that grows into a money tree and dies along the way … the last scene showed the planting of many coins that transform into real-life colourful balloon flowers … a positive end to the trials and tribulations that preceded.

Just a small note, the play was marketed as a show for ‘All Ages’, however there were bits were explicit language was used…

Directed by Ayanda Khala, My Father’s Hat was performed at the Bat Hall Theatre on January 10. In closing, I would like to say that performers involved in children’s theatre are vitally important to all involved in the theatre arts. It is imperative that the next generation’s attention in held in order to grow our theatre audience, as they are the adults who will support the fantastic work that is offered in this city in the future. Well done to Brincat in this performance, his skills are admirable! – Shika Budhoo