(David Muller as Oom
Schalk Lourens )
A warm welcome back to Durban for David Muller in
his engaging presentation of Herman Charles Bosman
stories. (Review by Caroline Smart)
Good to see actor David Muller back on the stage here
after an absence of over 25 years. Now based in Cape Town, he was a stalwart of
the Durban theatre scene back in the late 1980’s. He will be remembered for his
performances in shows directed by Professor Elizabeth Sneddon and in Pieter
Scholtz’s series of Tamboetie plays
for young people.
Oom
Schalk, from the Heart which opened last night at
Seabrooke’s Theatre, had a successful run at the Kalk Bay Theatre earlier this
year and comes to Durban direct from the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
artSMart reviewer, Keith Millar, saw the production there and remarked that
Muller is “a worthy successor to the late, great Patrick Mynhardt who toured
the country for 30 years performing Herman Charles Bosman’s stories.”
At the theatre, you are offered what looks like four
handwritten pages from a diary. Representing Muller’s passion for storytelling
and the art of actual writing, this is the programme. In it Muller acknowledges
the people who have donated two very important accessories to his costume. One
is his hat which dates back to pre-Boer War and his veldskoen which have their
own story to tell.
Determined to tell Bosman stories until he dies,
Muller and his director Celia Musikanth, have created
an engaging and highly entertaining production full of the author’s rich humour
which transports audiences to the world of Groot Marico through the eyes of the
inimitable Oom Schalk Lourens. The intimacy of Seabrooke’s Theatre is a perfect
venue for this enjoyable journey.
The staging couldn’t be simpler. A lone sturdy
bench, which becomes a horse, a wagon and a grassy area in the veld, is all
there is. Props include a tin mug and a jacket and an intriguing cloth-covered collection
of items which is revealed in the final story.
Oom
Schalk, from the Heart features Veld Maiden; In the Withaak’s Shade; A Bekkersdal Marathon; The Gramophone, and Willem Prinsloo’s Peach Brandy. Muller
gives each story the full quality of
its own distinctive character and mood.
In an informal chat after the show, Muller
urges his audience to encourage story-telling and I’m sure many people will
leave the theatre determined to discover Bosman’s works if they don’t know them
already.
Oom
Schalk, from the Heart runs at Seabrooke’s Theatre
at DHS from July 15 to 26 with performances from Tuesdays to Saturdays at 19h00.
Tickets R80 with discounts for block bookings, pensioners and students. To
book, call Ailsa on 083 250 2690. – Caroline Smart
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