HEXAGON MINIFEST

Top shows at annual theatre mini-festival.

The Hexagon Theatre in Pietermaritzburg is running its annual Theatre Minifest this weekend (March 19 to 20).

The fourth annual Theatre Minifes offers a line-up of five excellent theatre pieces, including a poetry show and four very diverse and dynamic plays. Productions on Friday include My Name is Lucky at 18h00; The Horseshoe at 20h00 and The Lover and Another (taking place in The Hexagon Dive) at 21h15. Senzo is Bululu Uncle can be seen on Saturday at 16h00 followed by Manspace at 18h00.

The Horseshoe explores the lives of two comrades who come home to very different lives. At the height of Apartheid, the ANC, banned and in exile, made the decision to take up an armed struggle against an unjust government. Thousands of young South Africans gave up their lives for this struggle. Leaving their homes and their families – many young people fled the country to receive military training. When these exiles returned home, life was different. For many, jobs are hard to find, and adjusting to peacetime is difficult. Some came home to a hero’s welcome and have been able to benefit from the changes in the country. Others came home to a life no different from that they left, and now feel cheated.

The Horseshoe tells the story of two young men who made that choice. It gives insight into the conditions of the ordinary people who made extraordinary decisions, took risks, and received very little reward. At this time, where debates in South Africa centre on issues around governance, greed and the gravy train – The Horseshoe reminds us that life goes on. A two-hander in the “poor theatre” style, it has performed at the Musho Festival 2007, National Arts Festival 2007, International Community Arts Festival (Rotterdam) 2008, and the Baxter Ikhwezi Festival, 2009.

My Name Is Lucky! featuring Grant Jacobs is the compelling tale of the lovable Lucky, a street urchin with a heart of gold who lives on the streets of North Beach. Working as a car guard, acrobatic and professional beggar, he believes life is like a seagull who soars the skies and oceans alike, dipping into the bottomless ocean but always emerging triumphant. One day, he encounters a potential but particularly troublesome “client”. Their encounter becomes a catalyst for the life-altering journey in which Lucky discovers the solace in a world outside of his own. The emotionally gripping tale introduces us to an array of colourful, familiar and exciting characters that either pull him into drowning despair or have him emerge like a seagull after a successful hunt. Lucky portrays an admirable resilience, strength and undiminished sense of hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. His love of life and his humility reveal a lost innocence and sense of childish wonder which proves that you can be a product of your environment but you are not confined by it.

Mary Steward’s Manspace considers what she understands and knows about men ..so far. Having journeyed life alongside the other species for the last 30 odd years she explores the spaces where men connect such as the sports field, boardroom and pub. Peering in, she references her observations and experiences “in an attempt to understand and know boys (sorry!) men better.” From the first realisation as a little girl bathing with Dad that “we are different, boys and girls”, to the wealth of insight gained from watching her older brother and his friends to the dating game and the workplace and beyond, Mary shares her moments of truth. She does this by presenting hilarious characters with which we can all identify. Have things really changed from the marbles at break to the closing of a boardroom deal? And why do guys always win ching chong cha?

The Lover And Another presents performance poetry and music to explore the complex realities of sexuality in contemporary UKZN. Featuring Nokwethemba Mchunu, Kevin Dlaldla, Thobeka Hadebe, Joy Dlamini, Melikaya Noqawza and Philani Mncwabe, it is frank, humorous, moving and challenging and has been performed at the Drama For Life Festival at Wits University and in the Orientation programmes on three of the UKZN campuses.

The comedy Senzo is Bululu Uncle is the winner of the best production at the recent Musho Festival. A black South African boy tells the story of his upbringing in a staunch Indian household. The cross-cultural comedy will leave audiences wondering whether Senzo is a black man in an Indian body, or an Indian in a black man’s body. Directed by Kumseela Naidoo, the show is performed by Senzo Mthethwa.

Tickets R40 per show available at the door. Enquiries to the Hexagon on 033 260 5537, or email hexagon@ukzn.ac.za