(Pic: Ellis Pearson in “Impisi”)
Pietermaritzburg’s Hexagon Studio and Dive Theatres to host a mini-festival on March 27 and 28.
It’s time once again time for the Hexagon Theatre's annual minifest of plays.
A Bit of a Fest is a short sharp blast of theatre with ten performances of five shows taking to the boards over two days. The festival runs on March 27 and 28 and the programme offers a wide range of material which should be more than enough to suit the tastes of all theatre-lovers. With 11 performances of six shows over two days, audiences can expect anything from comedy to drama to slam poetry to physical theatre to stand up comedy.
From Cape Town comes Mary Steward with the award-winning Womanhood and the hilarious Bridesmaid, as well as Slam Poet, Croc E Moses. From Durban comes the inimitable Ellis Pearson in Impisi with The Sepia Seamstress offering a clash of tradition and modernism and Stand Up comedian, Sne Mkhize.
Topping the list this year is Cape Town comedienne Mary Steward, whose show Womanhood won top honours at the Musho Festival in Durban earlier this year. She is bringing two shows to the minifest, Womanhood and Bridesmaid. Both shows are described as 'hilarious, moving and excellently performed':
Womanhood is written and performed by Mary Steward and directed by Emma Durden. When can we claim the hood? What defines us as women? This show is Mary’s hilarious reflection on the journey from girlhood to womanhood and all the milestones along the way, including moments of madness, heartbreak and hell. Bridesmaid is an hour-long one-woman comedy and was performed at both the Musho and Grahamstown festivals and looks at the premise of being “Always the bridesmaid – never the bride!” It takes the hilarious view of one woman who has been a bridesmaid seven times. We laugh through a decade of bad dresses and drunken dancing. Her reflections on these relationships, families, décor and disasters, lead her towards her own discovery of herself. A Cue Newspaper reporter described the show as “ it was like having a chat with a good mate over a glass of wine and laughing with her as she reminisced about her bridesmaid’ days. Clever audience interactions with a gifted and convincing performer. Go and see her show”. Live Wire Brian Roodt stated: "Steward is superb, her comic timing just perfect and a carefully crafted balance between humour, irony and poignancy."
Someone special to look out for is the inimitable Ellis Pearson, this time teaming up with Sdumo Mtshali in Impisi created by Pearson and Clive Essame, directed by Brian Pearce. This is a story about how society sees difference. Impisi is Zulu for hyena. We, the two legged ones, have fixed ideas about this animal, describing it as an ugly, misshapen scavenger; they also have fixed ideas about the majestic king of the jungle. In this parable, Hyena helps Lion to take his rightful place in society, despite an accident which leaves him far from physically capable ...or so one would imagine. Flavoured with the sights, sounds and images of the African plains, Impisi looks at how society views people who appear different, who may have a disability, but who take their place rightfully in society. It is, perhaps, those who judge and discriminate who truly disable people.
Ellis Pearson, with his long time partner, Bheki Mkhwane, is a well-known and much loved performer on the Grahamstown scene. In fact, 2007 was the first year for over a decade that he was not seen on the Drosdty Lawns, bringing his unique style of acting and endearing humour to issues which always cause the audience to sit up and think. In 2008 he was joined by the young, shining star from Durban, Sdumo Mtshali. Impisi was part of the main programme under the category of street theatre and was enjoyed by hundreds. Ellis also performs at festivals throughout the world on a regular basis. Clive Essame lives in Devon, in England, and has long been an admirer of Ellis Pearson’s work. He is a writer and community arts facilitator. He brings with him a wealth of experience as a dynamic, involved person who regards his physical disability as merely another aspect of his character.
Mayuri Naidu's The Sepia Seamstress has only one performance. This is the story of two Indian girls who end up on opposite sides of the spectrum and in love with the same man. A classic tale of traditional versus modern and the struggle for individual identity, it is directed by Clinton Marius and performed by Mayuri Naidu and Kajal Maharaj.
Croc E Moses is a seasoned musician and slam poet who has mastered his unique style of performance to critical acclaim. Formerly the founder and drummer of the hit SA band Fetish, Croc E has spent half his life developing his performance and he presents a special experience of lyrical, rhythmic poetry accompanied by guitar and ingeniously self-crafted backing tracks, as well as unaccompanied insightful beat poetry.
Stand up comic Sne will have two performances during the Fest. Her brand of humour is edgy and anything can happen!
Schedule March 27: Womanhood at 18h00; Impisi (Hexagon) and Bridesmaid (Studio) at 20h00; Croc E Moses at 21h15 in The Dive, and Stand Up Comic Sne in The Dive and 22h00.
Schedule March 28: The Sepia Seamstress at 14h30 in The Hexagon; Impisi (Hexagon) and Bridesmaid (Studio) at 16h30; Croc E Moses (Dive) and Sne, Stand Up Comic (Studio) at 18h30; and Womanhood at 20h00 in The Hexagon.
Tickets R40 per show (R30 for students and seniors). Tickets at the door or booked on 033 260 5537 or email: hexagon@ukzn.ac.za More information at www.hexagon.ukzn.ac.za
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