(Pic: The principal performers of "Tuckshop")Opening last night in the Playhouse Drama for a short season is Tuckshop. Presented by Polart, it is written by Pranesh Maharaj who co-directs with Riyash Misra.
The concept of Tuckshop first hit the airwaves as a LotusFM radio drama series in 2007. As the billboards stated, it is set on the border of Phoenix and Kwa Mashu, an area which “fostered relationships between communities once designed to be divided”. Now transformed by Pranesh Maharaj into a full-scale musical and featuring a cast and crew numbering no less that 18, the stage version flies firmly in defiance of the cynics.
Started by Anesh Dusrath and Pranesh Maharaj in 1995, Polart sees as its aim the promotion of local artists. They have boldly started off as they mean to continue by going for the top and hats off to them for their passion and determination.
The pinnacle of achievement for most actors in KwaZulu-Natal is to appear on the Playhouse Drama stage. While the Playhouse Opera specialises in music, it is the Drama that has been specially designed to cater for the spoken word. However, I believe the Playhouse Loft would have been more suited to the first presentation of this work as it would have been seen to better advantage in this more intimate venue.
I directed the radio version of Tuckshop so I am familiar with the dialogue. I enjoyed being reminded of the characters involved and their individual quirks as well as the twists and turns of the story. I am also cognisant of the depth of the writing and the humour that is contained in what is a tale of survival despite one’s circumstances. The sound quality was so poor and inconsistent last night that I felt for those in the audience who probably battled to understand the nuances of the scripting.
Special mention must be made of Sam Hlophe whose performance as Lungi was excellent throughout, particularly in her solo numbers. Yasmin Seedat is a tightly-controlled Mala, Anesh Dusrath keeps the character of Sanjeev from becoming a stereotypical drunkard and Lovie Ramas Rai is a compassionate Tuckshop owner, Mr Khan. As Aunty Padma, Melanie Kisten handled a difficult emotional scene with dexterity. Musical director Richard Ellis heads a strong backing group with Mike Mazzoni, Zinhle Mthembu and Lee Ngidi. However, I believe that in terms of pitching, the cast requires more assistance than only a guitar offering a key and melody line.
The message of Tuckshop is … if you don’t have hope, what else have you got? There is an ironic twist in that the school-leaver who is seen at the beginning of the show as eager to get out into the world and start her first job later looks with a jaundiced eye upon someone about to follow the same path. It’s a reminder that one can so easily become disillusioned with the realities of life - dreams get crushed and ambitions cut down to size. Unless you fight to make a difference!
If you care about the furtherance of new South African theatre, I urge you to support this production. The text is rich and multi-layered, sending out the important message in these trying times that you need to hang on to hope to achieve your dreams and don’t expect help unless you source it yourself!
Polart has gone into the corporate world and garnered support from sponsors outside of state-controlled national or provincial outlets. Sometimes it’s willpower alone that will get a production off its feet when negative elements preach otherwise. All kudos to the sponsors – please know that financial support of the arts always goes way beyond the cheque!
Tonight’s premiere, which was fraught with technical problems (but these are fix-able), was introduced by the genial magician Mo Magic who proved that the acoustics of the Drama didn’t need a microphone if you have the necessary projection skills. I also took my first ride in the impressive new lift which has been installed - after a lengthy period - to take patrons up to the Drama and further to the Loft. There’s also a fancy new machine where those who have parked in the Royal Parking Garage can swipe their parking tickets to gain a discount on their parking fee.
Tuckshop runs in the Playhouse Drama until May 23 with performances from Thursday to Saturday at 20h00 with matinees on May 21 at 16h00 and on May 22 at 14h00 (Sunday at 18h00). Booking through Computicket or the Playhouse Box Office. – Caroline Smart
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