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Sunday, August 17, 2014

BEYOND THE BIG BANGS



(Derosha Moodley, Shona Johnson &.Annalisa Gxabu. Pic by Val Adamson)



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).