(Yanga Mkonto &
Sipho Mahlatshana. Photo: CuePix/Amanda Horsfield)
(Reviews from the artSMart team at the 2015 National Arts
Festival in Grahamstown)
Compelling and often-hilarious play looks at a series of gay
relationships. (Review by Caroline Smart)
Presented by Artscape, Chomi
is a compelling and often-hilarious play that looks at a series of
relationships between six gay men. Four are black and two are white.
The play opens on a hilarious note as Percy (Siya Sikawuti)
is in full preparation for his wedding to Mandla. As he adjusts the hems of the
bright orange suits his attendants (Rudzami, Thabang and Sicelo) will be
wearing, he reveals excitedly that he and Mandla have started the adoption
process. Amid much amicable banter, they then move on to discuss whether the
respective mothers will attend the wedding.
Then
we start following Percy’s three friends on a personal basis and they all have
their own issues. Rudzami (Anele Situlweni) is in a relationship with Adam but
finds it’s too much of a commitment and breaks it off. Sicelo (Yango Mkonto) loves his partner Mike who
is drunk most of the time and fooling around with someone else. Thabang (Sipho
Mahlatshana) maintains firmly that he’s not into relationships – he just wants
the sex ... that is, until Kevin comes along.
Mandisi
Sindo takes the roles of Mike and Mandla while Robert Haxton plays Adam and
Kevin. Both doubles are well-handled.
Then things start to go horribly awry between the four
friends. They are struck by tragedy and in the process, old issues come to the
fore. Strong words and home truths fly and the friendship is in danger of
breaking up. However, in the end the love and friendship they share holds them
together.
Chomi is written by Pfarelo Nemakonde and directed
by Motlatji Ditodi and the script involves much humour – and not just of a
sexual kind! Alfred Rietmann’s effective set with its transparent corridors
allows scenes to roll smoothly into each other.
This is a
tightly-knit cast with excellent performances from each and every one,
especially Yanga Mkonto and Sipho Mahlatshana. There is an age
restriction of 18 as the dialogue tends to be highly explicit and movements
leave nothing to the imagination! It is to the director’s credit that the provocative production retains a
high level of credibility and the scenes of vulnerability are handled with
sensitivity. – Caroline Smart
(For more information on the National Arts Festival click
on the banner advert at the top of this page or visit www.nationalartsfestival.co.za)
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