(Melusi
Buthelezi)
Senzo Mabanga is a young theatre
practitioner and creator trying to make his mark in the industry. He is a Drama
& Production Studies Graduate from Durban University of Technology.
Mbanga has written a drama titled Inja Yenja Enjeni (The bastard child )
which is a one-man show about a young man who has Dissociative Identity
Disorder (previously referred to as multiple personality disorder) caused by
physical, emotional and mental abuse at the hands of his father.
Sfiso, (the protagonist), takes us on his
journey to confront the challenges he faces after the death of his mother,
which result in his perception of being socially excluded from “ordinary”
society. While seeking answers for his father’s abusive behaviour, he uncovers
the real truth about his birth. Sfiso narrates his story through acting, music,
dance and poetry, revealing the transformations into different characters, which
are all part of Sfiso’s persona.
This play focuses on the secrets that
emerge and how these embed themselves in the treatment children receive in
dysfunctional communities where ignorance and economics destabilise the family
unit. In my experience, growing up as a young boy I observed that parents and
grown-ups in general, keep a lot of secrets from their children, supposedly as
a means of protecting them when transparency is frequently the better policy.
Through this lack of transparency, the youth act out the distrust by becoming
rebels or voice their dissatisfactions through their actions, including escape
through substance abuse, anger management issues, and criminal violence in
order to express their frustrations. The impact contributes to the social
chaos, resulting in many fractures in modern contemporary society.
Written and directed by Mabanga, Inja Yenja Enjeni will be performed by
Melusi Buthelezi. It will run from November 15 to 17 at 19h00 at 128 Steve Biko
Road in a DUT residence called Upton (DUT Upton Residence opposite Gate One).
It's has an age restriction of 13LVN. Tickets R60 available at the door.
For more information contact Senzo Mabanga
on email: mabangasenzo@gmail.com
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