(Catarina Morgado, Mthokozisi Zulu & Jonathan Cohen)
Catarina
Morgado brilliantly portrays Mark Twain’s subtle humour and beautiful language.
(Review by Janet Whelan)
Mark Twain’s
deliciously whimsical and seldom-staged The
Diary of Adam and Eve introduces two relatively newcomers to Durban –
Catarina Morgado and Jonathan Cohen.
The Diary of Adam and Eve, adapted for the stage by Mark Bucci,
showcases the quirky tenderness and enduring wit
of American humourist Mark Twain – best known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Good Reads in its review of the text
says: “It reminds us that human creation
has grains of truth for modern gender disputes. Humans are essentially the same
inside. Adam is somewhat of a silent recluse, ill-prepared for his talkative
emotional rib. After conflict, despite the apple, comes harmony.”
The
play is superbly directed by Catarina Morgado, who also plays the part of Eve
brilliantly portraying Mark Twain’s subtle humour and beautiful language, for
example when she looks up to the sky with wonder and innocently says “there are
too many stars in some places and not enough in others” and “…some of the best
ones [stars] meet and run down the sky”. It is certainly hoped that we will see more of Catarina Morgado both
acting and directing.
Jonathan
Cohen plays Adam, deftly showing his frustration with Eve’s non-stop chatter
and illogical ‘logic’ – she has never seen a giraffe before, but she knows it
is a giraffe “because it looks like one and has a long neck”.
The third member of
the cast is Mthokozisi Zulu who plays the snake and quietly, almost
unobtrusively at times, moves about the stage, delivers his lines and slithers
off again.
In addition there
is clever use of film to portray Eve’s diary and the passing of time.
In the words of
Morgado “It’s daffy, direct, a fresh and hilarious look at the relationship
between these two very famous people. It explores the dynamics between men and
women and it shows us that not much has changed since those days in the garden!
It is totally relevant to couples today”.
It is a pity that
this play has such a short run, as for the first performance the theatre was
booked out and people were queuing up for extra seats.
Produced and presented by Catarina Morgado by arrangement with Dalro, The
Diary of Adam and Eve runs at Seabrooke’s Theatre, Durban High School (DHS),
until May 3 with performances at 19h30. Tickets R80 booked through Computicket;
or phone on 0861 915 8000 or book online at www.computicket.com
For more information, contact Catarina 083 644 7977 or
email: contact@catarinamorgado.com
– Janet Whelan
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