(Andrew Buckland &
Liezl de Kock)
Presented at the 2013 Witness Hilton Arts Festival.
Actors lift what might otherwise have been a rather
inconsequential piece of theatre into fine entertainment. (Review by Margaret
von Klemperer)
South Africa’s master of physical theatre, Andrew Buckland
devised this two-hander along with Liezl de Kock who joins him on stage, under
the direction of Rob Murray. It premiered this year in Grahamstown and is off
to the Amsterdam Fringe next year, so it arrived at Hilton with a weight of
expectation.
The story concerns Leon, left at the altar 15 or so years
before by Ruth. She also left newborn Ginny (short for Progeny) and shattered
Leon’s life. From then on, Leon and Ginny are on an extended road trip, looking
for Ruth. The name of each dorp they visit is tattooed on Leon’s skin, as
disappointment, drink and the needs of an adolescent child are carved into his
psyche.
There are moments of hilarity, including one which probably
shouldn’t be spelled out publically, and also a poignant sense of impending
disaster and meltdown which increases as the piece progresses. But it takes an
actor of the calibre of Buckland to bring it all together. Watching on Friday
with a school audience, I was fascinated that the scene I am not mentioning was
greeted with an adult rather than an adolescent response. That is down to the
power of the onstage performance.
And it is that power, from both the actors, that manages to
lift what might otherwise have been a rather inconsequential piece of theatre
into fine entertainment. - Margaret von Klemperer
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