national Arts Festival Banner

Saturday, July 9, 2016

NAF: PAY BACK THE CURRY



(Daniel Mpilo Richards)

(Reviews from the artSMart team currently in Grahamstown at the 2016 National Arts Festival)

The team has produced some comedy gold. (Review by Verne Rowin Munsamy)

ExploSIV Productions presented Pay Back the Curry, directed by Rob van Vuuren, written by Mike van Graan and featuring Daniel Mpilo Richards who just oozes talent. In this satire he gets to show off versatile set of skills as he sings, plays guitar, explores several accents, dances and at one point shows tremendous focus as he delivers a six-way conversation by himself. Masonic Front, the performance venue, was too small to contain the talent displayed and the audience jam-packed into the theatre.

A descendant of the Bafana Republic franchise, this satire leaves no stone unturned in terms of the current state of affairs in South Africa. Through songs sung at Idols auditions, interview on sports shows, aeroplane trips and an array of mediums, we hear clever lyrics, rhymes and dialogue that mocks and taunts SA politics, the Penny Sparrow and Guptasagas and #feesmustfall, to name a few.

Van Vuuren’s directing is evident in the physical exploration of all these myriad character from all walks of like. Mike van Graan, known for his political pieces, does not disappoint with this script. Along with Richards, who is simply remarkable, the team has produced some comedy gold. Thoroughly entertaining. - Verne Rowin Munsamy

(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)