(Jayshree Parasuramen, Rita Hlaluka & Yateen
Dayaram)
In all respects this
production was well conceived, professionally put together and very nicely
performed. (Review by Keith Millar)
Durban’s Playhouse was
certainly a vibrant and festive place to be last Friday night as the Africa
Alive! Festival, in commemoration of Africa Month, got into full swing. Dozens
of fashionable and enthusiastic people joined in celebrating the fusion of
music, fashion, dance, arts and crafts and food, creating an exciting and
festive atmosphere.
Also part of the
festivities were the final productions of the Playhouse Company’s New Stages
season. This initiative is
about staging authentic South African works which are both entertaining and
creative, but also leave audiences with food for thought.
In the rather
uncomfortable Loft Theatre, the Playhouse Actors Studio staged a production
which they have devised, entitled /'fri:dəm/ , which is
apparently pronounced as Freedom. The production which takes a retrospective
look at what our freedom means to us today certainly meets these criteria of
the New Stages Season.
The Playhouse Actors
Studio is a resident company aimed primarily at recent graduates who hold a
tertiary qualification in drama. During the year, they spend with the company
they attend workshops and master classes, conducted by industry professionals,
aimed at enhancing their practical skills and further developing their talent
in a professional theatre environment.
Using /'fri:dəm/ as
a gauge, it must be said that the Playhouse Actors Studio seem to be achieving
their aims. In all respects this production was well conceived, professionally
put together and very nicely performed.
The production uses
classical South African theatre works, images and sounds as it seeks to find
the meaning of what we have achieved as a country; what challenges we have
faced and how we deal with them. It asks questions about whether we have, in
fact, achieved freedom, and is freedom ever achievable or is it just fallacy?
In creating this piece
the performers from the Playhouse Actor’s Studio enjoyed the curatorship and
research of Matjamela Motloung and the directing mentorship of theatre stalwart
Ralph Lawson. Both gentlemen deserve credit for the roles they played in
turning out an unusual, interesting and thought-provoking piece of theatre.
The ensemble of seven
actors who told the story all put in impressive performances, with several of
them playing more than one role. None more so than Rita Hlaluka who played an
aging prostitute, a slimy male dictator and a mother, all with some
distinction.
Others in the cast were
Wanda Zuma, Phumelele Majola, Jayshree Parasuramen, Yateen Dayaram, Nhlakanipho
Gamede and Kagiso Tsimakwane.
The set for the
production was impressive with plenty of corrugated iron and bare brickwork
giving a distinct township feel while slide projections onto a lopsided screen
did much to add to the drama of the piece. None more so than in the dramatic
Soweto school riots scenes.
All in all, this was an
enjoyable production which one hopes will be worked on and further developed
and then once again be used to showcase the talents of our young performers. –
Keith Millar
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