TRAPPED

Post-Grahamstown: July 9, 2012 – Review by Philisiwe Sithole

The Salzburg Festival in association with Tick Tock Productions and the National Arts Festival presented the world premier of Standard Bank Young Artist Princess Zinzi Mhlongo's Trapped.

Trapped is a fragmented composition coming from a sadomasochistic world in which pain is cultivated. As one of the character says “pain is beauty”. This theatre might be seen as the contrast of the old school protest theatre in which the victim has to be freed, In Trapped the victim enjoys its situation, which is also a political statement about freedom.

The script sees monologues and songs interjected in scenes yet it has no beginning, middle or end. It is very fragmented therefore you can't relate to the characters, you stay in the distance as if you are looking at animals in a zoo. Mhlongo tries to place the audience within the same cage with the actors.

Trapped is not a theatre show neither performance art – it’s a little bit of both.

Mention should be made of Nkoto Anne Keitu Malebye and Rantebeng Makapan who brought the bizarre world they created alive .The rest of the cast included Bennedict Bongani Masango, Thapelo J Sebogodi and D'Anee Mahlangu. Trapped was among the final shows for the festival. – Philisiwe Sithole