(Reviews from the artSMart team at the 2015 National Arts
Festival in Grahamstown)
(James Cairns,
Albert Pretorius & Rob van Vuuren. Pic by Dani Bischoff & Jon Keevy)
Edgy, innovative and certainly pushes the envelope. (Review by Keith
Millar)
The creative team consisting of actors Rob Van Vuuren, Albert
Pretorius and James Cairns and director Tara Notcutt, were responsible for Three
Little Pigs, a hilarious satirical production about corruption in the South
African Police. This smash hit play was seen at previous National Arts Festivals
in Grahamstown and it also toured overseas very successfully.
The same team brought a brand new production, very much in the same
vein, called Three Blind Mice to the festival this year.
With satire being pivotal to the 2015 festival, this innovative and
well-performed sardonic comedy proved to be a perfect fit. It was eagerly
anticipated by festival goers and all performances were sold out well in
advance
Whereas Three Little Pigs parodied the ills within the South
African Police Force, Three Blind Mice sets as its target the South
African legal and penal systems.
The Three Blind Mice embark one night to raid the Nkandla-like
home of an ex-President, now a farmer, looking for as much cheese as they can
find and carry away. While they are there, a home invasion takes place and the
farmer is murdered.
The farmer’s wife catches the mice and cuts of their tails with a
carving knife. Although they swear that they were framed, they are arrested for
the murder, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
As the play progresses and the mice plot a way to prove their innocence,
caustic references are made about the many legal issues and high profile court
cases trials which have dominated our news reports in recent times.
Caustic reference is made to events such as the Oscar Pistorius,
Shrien Dewani and Waterkloof 4 court cases and about medical parolee Schabir
Shaik. The Nkandla scandal also receives a fair amount of acerbic comment as do
farm and home invasions. While no-one is mentioned by name, the dialogue makes
it quite obvious who or what is being discussed.
Rob Van Vuuren, Albert Pretorius and James Cairns are superb in the
roles of the blind mice as well as the many other comic characters that
populate this production. They slide between characters seamlessly and with
accuracy. All three are experienced comedy actors and skilled at the timing and
control required in a production such as this.
Direction was in the safe and sure hands of Tara Notcutt.
Three Blind Mice is a very funny
and very clever satire. It is edgy, innovative and certainly pushes the
envelope. You find yourself laughing a lot - but feeling a little uncomfortable
at the same time for been so amused.
The production of Three Blind Mice uses a proven winning formula
and should be an audience favourite wherever it is staged. – Keith Millar
(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)
Posts
