(Clockwise: Lyschelle Linderboom, Robyn Mc
Harry, Thabani Mahlobo, Derosha Moodley, Khanyisile Jwaha and Faca Kulu. Pic by Val Adamson)
Heartwarming,
lively and entertaining play is well worth supporting and would significantly
enhance your festive celebrations. Review by Keith
Millar
Whether
you celebrate it as Christmas or just as the festive season, this remains a
wonderful time of the year. It is a time to celebrate commonalities rather than
diversity. A time of joy and goodwill, and of friendship, and renewal.
iNkanyezi – The Star in the Playhouse Loft Theatre
offers all that and more.
It is a gentle,
feel-good Christmas tale about four young ladies who have started a small but
successful business together which they call iNkanyezi. To quote them, this is
a “small dress design company with culturally diverse ownership”. They
represent all four of the major cultural groups in the country. Gloria is
coloured, Nomathemba is black, Joan (JoJo) white and Tharusha is of Indian extraction.
They are not only business partners but close friends and confidantes.
On the night
before Christmas Eve they get together at JoJo’s flat to decorate a tree for
the local orphanage using beautiful beadwork decorations made by the women they
employ. They reminisce about their first year in business, their success and
failures, their travels, boyfriends and about life in general.
A
telephone call from family in London brings shocking news which seriously
disrupts their happy gathering. It is at this point that cultural differences and
beliefs are put aside and they unite in their commonalties to ride out the
crisis.
The four
beautiful young women are delightfully played by Lyschelle Linderboom,
Khanyisile Jwaha, Robyn Mc Harry and Derosha Moodley. They all put in strong
performances and create likable and believable characters. Mc Harry is a stand-out
with an engaging and emotional portrayal of JoJo.
They are
well supported by Faca Kulu as the boyfriend Simon, and Thabani Mahlobo as an
old man strumming his guitar in the street. Mahlobo’s atmospheric singing and
guitar playing during the play deserves special mention. He has a unique voice
and a moving, soulful style on the guitar. I would love to see this man in concert.
The
production was created by the award winning team of director Thuli Dumakude, musical
director Faca Kulu and scriptwriter/assistant director Caroline Smart.
Presented
by the Stable Theatre in their first collaboration with the Playhouse Company, iNkanyezi – The Star was born when
well-known director and producer Welcome Msomi received a Johnnie Walker
Celebrating Strides Award in 2010. Attached to the honour was a cash bursary
award which Msomi chose to give to the Stable Theatre to celebrate his early
days as a budding actor in Durban, when he worked closely with the founder of
Stable Theatre, Kessie Govender.
The play
incorporates the philosophy of the Johnnie Walker Celebrating Strides Award – “dream
big and keep walking” – while honouring Msomi’s aim to create new South African
work that binds cultures and offers the sharing of beliefs and values.
So, at
this special time of the year this heartwarming, lively and entertaining play
is well worth supporting and would significantly enhance your festive
celebrations.
iNkanyezi – The Star runs in the Playhouse Loft until
December 15 with performances Wednesday to Friday at 19h30. There are matinee
performances this afternoon (December 8) and December 15 at 15h00. (Evening
performance on December15 tbc) Tickets R65. Booking is at Computicket.
The
production is supported by the KZN Performing Arts Trust and Business &
Arts South Africa (BASA). – Keith Millar
Posts
