(Sbusiso
Ngcobo. Pic by Sifiso Majola)
An excellent production on a highly
professional level. (Review by Siza kaMnisi Mthembu)
Amongst
Men a play by Aphiwe Namba is being staged at the
Bat Centre this August. The production is directed by Menzi Mkhwane and
features Sbusiso Ngcobo. All three are graduates of the Durban University of
Technology Drama Department.
On arrival one gets a sense of an isiZulu
traditionalist’s homestead, as there is a burning impepho , candles (red and
white), fruits, sweets and other foods are put out as décor.
Amongst
Men is about a Zulu man who has an ancestral
calling, Fasimba Ndabazabantu. The calling came from the elders to help heal
the dying nation. This occurs after a series of negative events has occurred in
his family. Fasimba takes the audience through his journey of being a
traditional healer, and the challenges that he faces when doing his work. This
is shown through flashbacks where Fasimba shares about things that he as a
traditional healer had to go through.
The play also has sub-stories that
emphasize the main one, where Fasimba highlights the change in custom between
people that move to the city from rural areas to the big cities. Segregation is
also highlighted heavily, reminding us that black people have separated as a
people.
The story touched briefly on social issues,
family, self-discovery, awakening of spirits, speaking to the human mind and
relationships issues. The writer highlights the issue of fake traditional
healers and the treatment of healers in general on a day to day basis.
Sbusiso Ngcobo must be commended as an
actor having to perform in a venue with broken windows, sounds of the moving
train from outside, graffiti floors as well as competing with the music coming
from the other venues. It must also be noted that Sbusiso was excellent in the
character changes, shifts in emotions and the actor audience relationship.
Congratulations to one and all for an
excellent production on a highly professional level.
Amongst
Men has two more performances at the Bat Centre in
the Small Crafts Harbour on August 31 and September 1, 2018, at 19h00. Tickets R100
at the door. - Siza kaMnisi Mthembu