(Busisiwe
Nyundu. Pic by Ruphin Coudyzer)
iLembe, from Johannesburg-based Sibikwa Arts Centre, is a powerful new
visually- evocative production with beautiful music and pulsating dance, which depicts
the last few months of the life of King Shaka, and opens in the Playhouse Drama
to the general public on April 27.
iLembe (“the axe that surpasses all other axes in sharpness”) is the
latest production created by Sibikwa Arts Centre established in 1988. It
consciously intends to provoke and challenge the audience’s perceptions and
encourage the audience to question concepts such as truth, honesty, perception
and prejudice.
Sibikwa is perhaps best known in Durban for
Kwela Bafana, its vibrant musical and
dance showcase of South African life in the 50’s which thrilled and entertained
audiences at the Playhouse last year.
iLembe is written and directed by the multi-award winning team of Smal
Ndaba and Phyllis Klotz and designed by Sarah Roberts, who most-recently
designed West Side Story for the Playhouse.
It is presented in association with the Playhouse Company, an agency of the
Department of Arts and Culture, as part of their New Stages programme. The
music is by two-time SAMA award winner and acclaimed musician and composer,
Themba Mkhize; and the choreography is by Sifiso Kweyama. The music and dance
accompanying this production marries Zulu-traditional with more modern
influences – including contemporary dance and electronic music.
The multi-lingual cast is a combination of
Johannesburg and KZN-based performers who were selected after a rigorous
audition process last October. The production is staged in isiZulu and
isiXhosa, with English surtitles.
“Statesmanship and vigour marked Shaka
kaSenzangakhona, better known as Shaka Zulu, as one of the most prominent Zulu
kings,” says Sibikwa’s Phyllis Klotz. “Too often we are bound by our
conceptions of life colouring our perceptions. These perceptions usually evolve
from our background and culture. Shaka, an extraordinary iconic historical
figure in South African history has been interpreted by some as a cruel harsh
leader by others as a great nation-builder. Whatever view we have is biased.
This production seeks to beg the question where lies the truth, and is there
actually one truth?”
Because of the acceptance of the written
word, historical facts based on the earliest writings by white traders and
officials remained unquestioned for a long time. The oral tradition, shedding a
different light on uShaka’s ruling, only gained respect more recently. These
two perspectives are often contradictory and have set up contested positions
around the famous warrior.
iLembe gives a twist to the traditional storytelling structure by
unfolding the play through the eyes of Shaka’s interpreter Jackot Msimbithi; the
young Englishman Henry Fynn; Shaka’s attendant, Mbopha, and his sister Nomcoba
while three female musicians playing traditional instruments form the chorus.
A comprehensive exhibition curated by Dr
Rayda Becker, which reflects the multi-interpretation of Shaka through images
dating from 1824 through to the 21st century, accompanies the production.
The story of Shaka is part of the Grade ten
school syllabus and is suitable for grades 7, 8 and 9 as well. To accommodate
high school learners, there are performances earmarked for schools from April
15 onwards. The show runs at 90 minutes with no interval.
iLembe runs in the Playhouse Drama from April 15 until May 3. There are
public performances from April 27 until May 3 with performances at 19h30 on
April 27, May 2 and May 3. Other performances take place at 10h00 on April 29 and
30. Booking is open and tickets can be purchased through Computicket; phone
0861 915 8000 or book online at www.computicket.com
Seating is reserved.
For information on high-school groups or
block bookings contact Dawn Haddon on 031 369 9456 or email: salescoordinator@playhousecompany.com
Teaching materials which support the production are available to educators who
bring their learners to see the show.
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