The Singh Siblings (an artistic collaboration between Ashwin
Singh and Shantal Singh) in association with The Playhouse Company will present
Ashwin Singh’s new comedy-drama Beyond
the Big Bangs as part of the 2014 South African Women’s Arts Festival
(SAWAF).
Directed by Singh, the new work features acclaimed
performers Shona Johnson, Derosha Moodley and Annalisa Gxabu and opens in the
Playhouse Loft on August 20.
Beyond the Big Bangs
is a unique play about three women – one Black African, one Indian and one
Coloured, all of whom either live or work in Durban-North. We discover their
connections and the challenges of their complex lives through a rare
combination of funny and poignant monologues and dialogue.
Sandra is a domestic worker, who is caught in the middle of
an ongoing racial conflict between her employers and their neighbours; Gita (Derosha
Moodley) has been labelled a “gambling granny” and now seeks to break this
stereotype whilst finding both pleasure in the casino and deeper connections in
her neighbourhood; and Lindiwe is preparing for her disciplinary hearing,
standing accused of slapping an insulting pupil just months after being stabbed
by another pupil at her previous school.
This is the first time in South African theatrical history
that three Black women from diverse communities, namely Zulu, Indian and
mixed-race, have been featured as the principal characters in a major
production. Despite dealing with many controversial issues, Beyond The Big
Bangs is filled with humour and pathos and is sure to entertain audiences in
the vein of Singh’s other major works, namely To House, Spice ’n Stuff, Marital
Blitz, Shooting and PopCom.
The three actresses cast in the production have all acquired
powerful reputations in theatre having cut their teeth in a wide variety of
dramatic and comedy productions. Johnson is a teacher of dramatic arts and has
several Durban Theatre Awards nominations, having featured in both adult and
children’s theatre productions, including The
Wheel, Animal Tails 1 & 2, Reality Bytes and Consenting Silence. She was directed by Singh in PopCom.
Moodley, who holds a Master’s degree in Drama, has enjoyed
success and critical acclaim on stage and screen. She has been inspired to
pursue a career on stage by her deep love of Shakespearean plays. Her best
known screen performances were in the Broken
Promises movie franchise. She was directed by Singh in Marital Blitz and PopCom
and performed with him in Culture Clash.
Gxabu is one of the most talented young actresses in KZN.
She has studied drama and film in South Africa and the UK. Her best known
theatre performances include her role in Edmund Mhlongo’s Sugar Daddies which featured at the Playhouse and enjoyed a
successful schools’ tour, and her collaborative effort A-dress Re’dress with Heather Gielink, which was selected for the
2012 Community Arts Mentorship Programme (CAMP) by the Playhouse Company. Gxabu
was mentored by Singh at CAMP 2012.
Singh’s works have regularly been selected by the Playhouse
Company, mainly for the New Stages Festival, and he is also a script writing and
legal mentor for CAMP. Singh says he regards the Playhouse Company as the
leading arts institution in South Africa and is delighted and honoured to be
part of SAWAF.
The play continues Ashwin Singh’s legacy as an innovative
creator of authentic, multi-cultural South African work and features in his
2013 anthology Durban Dialogues, Indian
Voice, published by UK publishers, Aurora Metro Books.
Shantal Singh says that Beyond
The Big Bangs was the chief mascot of Ashwin’s book Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice because it deals with “the crucial
issues of women’s identity and intercultural relations and also showcased his
abilities in both comedy and drama”.
Beyond The Big Bangs
runs in the Playhouse Loft between August 20 and 23 with performances at 19h30 with
an additional 15h00 matinee on August 23. Tickets R80 (concessions for
pensioners) are available through Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or online at www.computicket.com and also via the
Playhouse Box Office (031 369 9540 office hours).
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