Tour de
force performance of 11 characters in riveting one-man drama. (Review by
Caroline Smart)
This
evening, the audience at Catalina Theatre was treated to a tour de force performance by Menzi Mkhwane in his riveting one-man play, Last Cow Standing, directed by
Lihle Dhlomo.
Resonating
on a number of levels it shows how one small boy’s determination and belief in
what is right and good can make a difference.
Set in a
rural kingdom, the situation is a devastating one. Cattle are dying from a
strange sickness and now the elders and exalted
henchmen, acting under their own agenda, have persuaded the king that the god
Gwande has struck them with a curse. Their suggestion is that everyone in
possession of cattle must hand over all their beasts to be kept in the royal
kraal in preparation for a big sacrifice which they believe will bring the
entire herd back.
We first
meet the young Samira as he is burying one of his grandmother’s precious animals
in the centre of the kraal. While studiously trying to remember the exact wise
words of his grandmother (this was a delight), he questions the sense of this
decree, arguing that people will not be able to plough the land, milk and feed
themselves. Taking his grandmother’s advice, he heads off with a precious calf
to speak to the King and convince him to alter his decree.
Along
his journey he meets up with a volatile Indian trader, an effete Watchman, a
disabled elder, a grunting farmer, and the traitorous Phazoka (a hilarious
sequence), not to mention his ageing granny, some giggling women and the
bearded king.
Taking
on no less than 11 roles, Mkhwane imbues each one with impeccable vocal
distinction and body language. He moves seamlessly, almost without breathing,
from one character to the other –often in conversation and in one case there
were three characters talking. There were also moments of endearing poignancy.
Growing
from a naiive young boy to a strong adult, he impresses throughout. I’d also
like to commend him on assessing the volume of the rain on the roof and
adjusting his vocal projection accordingly. His professionalism and strong
capacity for mime is understandable. After all, he learnt his craft as a young
child from watching his father, well-known actor Bheki Mkhwane, who worked with
the acclaimed Ellis Pearson for many years.
My main
concern is the shadow play. While puppeteers Mpilo Khumalo and Nhlakanipho Gamede
provide effective moments, the process is not achieving its full potential. Some
kind of coverage needs to be placed on either side of the screen to keep the
magic alive and avoid the audience seeing them as they move into the wings.
Produced
by Nu-Breed, Last
Cow Standing runs at Catalina Theatre until June 15 with performances at
15h00 and 19h00. Booking is at Computicket. For more information visit www.catalinatheatre.com I urge you
not to miss it - this is a great talent to watch. – Caroline Smart
NB:
Catch Menzi Mkhwane at the National Arts Festival in two productions, one of
them being “Pockets of Knowledge” which is directed by his father, Bheki
Mkhwane
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