MEIN SOLDAT

Strong dramatic piece resonant with emotion, held with poignant pauses and minimum of dialogue. (Review by Caroline Smart)

Janna Ramos-Violante, now based in Johannesburg, is no stranger to Durban audiences who will remember her from her numerous roles over the years, many of which won her Durban Theatre Awards. The list proves her versatility as a strong dramatic actress as well as a singer and dancer – productions such as Cinderella; Boston Marriage; Night, Mother and Stone Angel rank alongside stand-out performances in Agnes of God; Oleanna, and Guys and Dolls.

Her new company, Thinskin Collective, has produced a work which she has written titled Mein Soldat (My Soldier) which is performed in Austrian and English and set in World War II. A soldier (Duncan) escapes from a POW camp near Krems in Austria and stumbles wounded, parched and starving into the home of a woman (Irma) who is facing her own demons. In the drawer of the dresser is a letter which she cannot decipher because it is in English but we get the feeling that it may contain news of her husband Konrad’s death.

As director, Janna has pulled in close friend, colleague and partner in Fett Diva Productions, the equally talented and award-winning Josette Eales. As this year’s co-winner of the 2010 Brett Goldin Bursary award, she gets to take part in an Artist Development Department programme presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Johannesburg actor James MacEwan is a good choice for the male role in Mein Soldat. Durban audiences may well remember him for his excellent performances a number of years back in Northcliff High’s annual musicals presented in Durban, particularly his Mr Cellophane in Chicago. A contemporary of Jonathan Roxmouth who was in the same Northcliff productions, he has the right disciplined focus and capacity for unspoken dialogue that is required for Mein Soldat.

This is a well-written piece of dramatic theatre, resonant with emotion, held with poignant pauses and the minimum of dialogue. From their initial meeting –Irma nervous and suspicious, Duncan in pain and fear – their relationship slowly develops, more from instinct that anything else as they are only able to converse in their mother tongues. Grieving and lonely, desperate for love and tenderness, they tentatively reach out for each other … but how long can it last?

In her director’s notes, Josette Eales explains: “This piece to me is a chance for audiences to see absolute reality on stage with actors taking risks to tell a small but nevertheless vital story. I encourage the audience to wonder in the simplicity of a life we as the modern society have long forgotten - a life without text messages and email, without easy communication and without the beauty of pure simple love.” She has certainly achieved this aim. Mein Soldat can be viewed on another level, inviting comment, discussion or argument about what the letter actually contains and whether Duncan could be using it for his own ends. The letter doesn’t look like an official telegram. Could it be purely and simply a love story? Discuss, and analyse away - that's exactly what good theatre is about. Or just sit back and enjoy two fine actors do justice to sensitive direction and a good script.

Mein Soldat has had three performances in The Square Space Theatre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and it now heads for Grahamstown to be seen on the Fringe of the 2010 National Arts Festival. Janna also appears in a revival of Boston Marriage which is also on the Fringe programme.

Click on the National Arts Festival advert on this page which will take you to the official website where you can locate the full festival programme as well as booking details, etc. – Caroline Smart