(Kamini
Govender in “She Put the I in Punchline”. Pic by Jade Maskell)
Report
by Latoya Newman (courtesy of Tonight) dealing with the first annual Not the
Grahamstown Festival running at the Catalina Theatre at the weekend with two
productions staging.
This weekend three varied productions will
stage, but let’s look at how the first part of this fest fared.
Friday’s opening night production was She Put the I in Punchline (written and
performed by Kamini Govender, directed by Verne Munsamy) and it got the
festivities off to a hilarious start.
This one-woman show is seen and experienced
through the eyes and thoughts of a young Indian woman who explores her identity
on a number of levels –from her South African-ness to her cultural identity,
her place in society as a woman in general, her racial identity, gender and
more.
Working through her personal history,
within a political history, Govender provokes thought on a number of issues and
provides some enlightenment, too, for example on cultural differences, political
thought and gender matters.
As a writer, Govender succeeds in combining
comedy with provocative thought. She also draws the audience in on a personal
note, letting them into her world. Director Munsamy has done well in helping
co-ordinate different elements on stage and in Govender’s performance that give
life to her story.
After seeing Govender in a more reclusive
role in Munsamy’s play Consenting Silence,
which tackled the taboo issues around rape, it was very interesting to watch
her burst out on stage in a funnier and more relaxed role. An added bonus was
getting to learn more about Govender as a writer and, in the case of this play
in particular, getting inside her head in way.
You laugh throughout the 60- minute show.
Definitely one to catch at the National Arts Festival this year, or should it
tour after that.
The second production staging at the Not the Grahamstown Festival this
weekend was Prince Senie – The Curse of
Logozo (Part One). This vibrant African musical theatre piece was inspired by
and features the music of Angelique Kidjo (the Grammy Award–winning Beninoise
singer, songwriter and activist).
The tale takes us through the life of
Prince Senie whose mother is killed by her evil sister soon after he is born.
In an attempt to save the baby, a servant runs off with him and raises him in
secret. However, years later, on hearing of his history, the troubled prince
vows to take revenge on those responsible for his mother’s death and his
situation.
Written, directed and choreographed by Lenin
Shabalala, this original African musical is very entertaining to watch with a
number of twists in the tale complemented by contemporary dance, poetry, and
comedy. The minimalist set has been boosted with beautiful African attire and
costumes.
The cast do a wonderful job in their
performances, keeping pace throughout. The one disappointment was that there
was no live vocals, as was noted in the musical’s synopsis. I’m not sure if
this was because of a sound problem at the theatre, which occurred on opening
night, or if, for some reason, they decided to opt for music from a CD – but
live vocals would have complemented all the hard work put into their piece so
much more. That said, this was a great effort on the part of Shabalala, who
does well in all three departments (writer, director/and choreographer).
The Not the Grahamstown Festival continues
this weekend (June 27 to 29) with:
• Ex-Men:
The Last Stand on Friday at 19h00 and Saturday at 18h00. Popular stand-up
comedians Jem Atkins and Glen Bo tackle issues of crazy exes, the Guy Code,
surviving dangerous relationships and dating mutants.
• Super
Mokoena stages on Saturday at 11h00 and Sunday at 16h00. The Actors
Unemployed Company presents this piece with Clare Mortimer (director), Bryan
Hiles (designer), Marc Kay (writer, performer), Adam Dore (performer) and Mtho
Zulu (performer).
• SoundGaze: Moving Images of Marie in
Woyzeck stages at 16h00 on Saturday and 18h00 on Sunday. Adapted from Georg
Buchner’s Woyzeck and based on the
true story of a soldier who murdered his lover over infidelity.
Ticket prices are R60, proceeds partly help
fund the different groups’ travel costs to this year’s National Arts Festival.
A dinner special is also available at R120. Pensioners, students and block
bookings pay R40. For more information, contact 031 837 5999 or catalinatheatre@gmail.com. For
details of these shows at the National Arts Festival, visit www.nationalartsfestival.co.za
or tonight.co.za – Latoya Newman
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