(Derosha Moodley, Shona Johnson &.Annalisa
Gxabu. Pic by Val Adamson)
Fine
performances from three talented and versatile actresses. (Review by Caroline
Smart
Premiering this evening as part of the Playhouse
Company’s 2014 South African Women’s Arts Festival (SAWAF) is Ashwin Singh’s
new comedy-drama, Beyond the Big Bangs.
It features fine performances from three
talented and versatile actresses, Shona Johnson, Derosha Moodley and
Annalisa Gxabu.
The “Big
Bangs” of the title refer to those highly expensive rockets which are beloved
of events organisers to round off major functions or those who like to be at
the ignition end of a minor explosive missile. Beyond the Big Bangs features
in Ashwin Singh’s 2013 anthology Durban
Dialogues, Indian Voice, published by UK publishers, Aurora Metro Books.
A painted backcloth features high-rise
apartment blocks, a modest suburban home and some neatly-styled Zulu huts. The
setting is Durban North where we meet Sandra, a coloured lady who earns her
living by being a domestic worker to a haughty coloured lady who is constantly
on a one-upmanship battle with her white neighbour. Torn from her much-loved
home town of Tongaat to her son’s new choice of area, Gita finds escape from
family life in the casino. Schoolteacher Lindiwe is sitting in a waiting room preparing
for her disciplinary hearing after a spoilt white pupil goaded her to the point
of slapping her.
They are
all linked in some way, mainly through Granny Gita’s son, Anesh Singh, who is
organising a Cultural Day with the aim of uniting the various races and cultures
in the neighbourhood. Another link is the son of Sandra’s employer. We don’t
meet him but his words and actions are beautifully portrayed.
Singh
presents us with a multitude of social issues borne out by the stories of these
women and all three actresses rise to the challenge perfectly, especially as
they are required to pull on their considerable versatility skills. I counted
ten different voices for one actress to handle and the other two are equally
challenged. Apart from different accent deliveries, their respective monologues
run through varying moods from comedy and pathos to disillusionment and anger.
Pint-sized dynamo Shona Johnson gives us a feisty,
energetic Sandra who handles most of the explanation as to who’s who in the
neighbourhood. As Gita, Derosha Moodley portrays a very youthful grandmother
whose sense of fun and adventure belies her composed exterior. With a clever
use of her scarf as she changes character, Annalisa Gxabu presents Lindiwe as a
committed and passionate teacher who is pushed too far.
I did
have a problem with the lighting which, while identifying flashbacks or different
moods, wasn’t always effective. The storyline and the performers themselves
often didn’t warrant this. The opening scene with Shona Johnson left her in
strong shadow much of the time.
Presented by The Singh Siblings in association with The Playhouse Company, Beyond the Big Bangs runs in the
Playhouse Loft until August 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). – Caroline Smart
Posts
