(The young lovers: Wiseman
Mncube as Bhekani and Derosha Moodley as Latisha)
Amusing and entertaining production focuses on young lovers reaching
across their cultures and former colour bars. (Review by Caroline Smart)
Culture Clash, a cleverly-scripted
local drama, debuts in Durban this weekend as part of The Playhouse Company’s
New Stages 2013 season.
As a conservative Hindu father, what do you do when you discover that
your adored daughter wants to marry a young Zulu man from a rural background?
You pass out, of course!
Added to his list of health problems, ranging from blood pressure to
heart, as well as the fact that his gardener has upped and gone to Cape Town
with his gay lover, things are not going well for the verbose Mr Reddy. When he
meets his daughter’s intended father-in-law, the upright Mr Mthethwa, things
take a further turn for the worse as Mr Reddy discovers that he is facing a
labourer from the Sorghum Brew firm where he used to work as a foreman. This creates
another confrontational situation.
Now, it’s the other father’s turn to pass out!
The catalysts of this “passing-out parade” are University of
Durban-Westville students, Bhekani and Latisha, well-played by Wiseman Mncube
and Derosha Moodley who both give sincere and natural performances.
Trying to hold things together are the respective mothers: Mayuri Naidu
in a serene and pragmatic performance as Mrs Reddy, and Smah Mbatha as Mrs
Mthetwa (Ma Ncube) who is a sangoma. Mbatha very nearly fooled me, so
believable was her total performance … but I won’t give the game away!
Ashwin Singh and Sifiso Simamane as the two fathers, do full justice to
the dynamics of the script which requires bursts of anger and frustration. Added
to the volatile mix is Dolly Hadebe in a delightful performance as the
excitable domestic helper, Sibongile.
It was a great pleasure to see experienced actresses Mbatha and Hadebe
appearing on the local stages. Let’s hope we see more of them.
Culture Clash is directed by
Edmund Mhlongo who has written the highly amusing script with considerable
input from Ashwin Singh. The result is an entertaining 70 minutes which held
the youngsters enthralled at the schools performance I attended.
Culture Clash offers a
stronger cross-cultural understanding among audiences about Indian/Zulu
relations. It touches on South Africa’s growing mixed-cultural community where
young people are reaching across their cultures and former colour bars to find
personal relationships that are all the more meaningful – and possibly more liable
to succeed in the long run – because of the opposition and resistance they encounter
on the home front.
There are aspects to the script which could be looked at – I feel that
the health issues of Bhekani’s former girlfriend cannot be explored to the
fullest in the time available. It prompts a story of its own.
Culture Clash has two more
performances tomorrow (May 25 at 15h00 and 19h30) in the Playhouse Loft.
Tickets R55 booked through Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or online at www.computicket.com – Caroline Smart
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