(Jayshree
Parasuramen)
An important piece
of theatre. (Review by Keith Millar)
It is important for
any country that all aspects of its history are recorded so that future
generations can come to a better understanding of the events that shaped the
milieu they live in.
This is even more
important when the events contributed to substantial changes to the social and
political wellbeing of the country.
Through the ages, theatre
has played a major role in informing people of these notable moments in history
and the role played by many unsung heroes.
To this end Lenny, which is currently on at the
Playhouse in Durban, is an important piece of theatre. It tells the story of
the late Lenny Naidu, an ANC activist and member of Umkhonto we Sizwe, who gave his life in the struggle for
freedom in South Africa. He and several others, while returning from exile in
Swaziland, were ambushed and killed by the Third Force which was based at
Vlakplaas, near Pretoria.
Lenny is written and produced by
Jayshree Parasuramen. She also plays Seshni, a rather mysterious homeless
person who is the storyteller in the production.
The title character is played by Rahul Brijnath, an experienced actor who does a good job in capturing
the commitment, passion and strength of the social activist. Yashik Singh as
Richard and Savy Ramsamy as Naidu’s mother are also impressive. Others in the
cast are Warrick Frank, Yateen Dayaram, Kerolin Govender and Nqobile Mthembu.
The production is directed
by Themi Venturas.
The very effective music soundtrack used in the production was composed
by Burton Naidoo. Along with rather bleak lighting, it creates a menacing and
disconcerting atmosphere for the piece.
Lenny is a somewhat
wordy production and possibly suffers from being staged on the large and
imposing stage of the Playhouse Drama. The set is a little disappointing. Made
from scaffolding and fencing, it seems fairly arbitrary and doesn’t add
anything to the production.
Lenny runs in
the Playhouse Drama until July 31 with performances for schools on July 27 and
28 at 11h00. Tickets R120 for the public performances booked through
Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or online at www.computicket.com
Alternatively, call the Playhouse Box Office on 031
369 9540 or 031 369 9596 (office hours). Tickets for the school performances
are R30 per learner. To secure school bookings, or for further information,
call 072 926 0692, 083 610 9931 or 031 826 5585 (o/h) – Keith Millar
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