Origins is a
puppet-dance production performed to live music. Created by Janni Younge,
Nkanyiso Kunene and Derek Gripper, the performance weaves three mediums to
evoke a human journey through artistic synthesis.
The production will be featured in the
Playhouse New Stages programme before it moves to the KZN Midlands where it
will run from May 26 to 28, 2022.
Origins is the story of Ezileh, a girl finding
her way to adulthood. Monwabisi, Ezileh’s only parent, is loving and attentive
but holds the weight of responsibility in challenging circumstances with
difficulty. It is the story of the impact we have on each other as human beings
and about the strength of relationship. As Ezileh and her father face the
vulnerability of being human, we see them make choices that define who they
become. Origins uses visual metaphors and emotive movement and music to
evoke the energy that pulls together and pushes us apart.
There is no performance medium as powerful
as puppetry to bring the nuances of childhood to life on stage. This form
allows profound access to the character of Ezileh as she navigates her
childhood. Lyrical, visual sequences are combined with crisp, naturalistic
puppetry, revealing the psychological world of the child.
We begin our journey with Ezileh before her
birth. The love and commitment that Monwabisi manifests towards his daughter is
obscured as he struggles with difficult circumstances. Ezileh is a young girl
who possesses the powerful gift of imagination which allows her to manifest magic.
She starts life adored and placed at the centre of her father’s world. As his
shifting attention shakes the security of her being, she increasingly draws on
her own inner resources for strength as his apparent emotional distance grows.
As she is propelled into life and builds her defences, her fragile magic
threatens to vanish.
Finally, Ezileh is the one who recognises
that if she forgives his human frailty, the love that she has been cut off from
is still available to her and that she can own the spark of magic that is her
birthright.
Origins runs
in the Schlesinger Theatre, Michaelhouse, R103, Balgowan, 3275, from May 26 to
28 with performances at 19h30.
Tickets R120 booked through Quicket at https://www.quicket.co.za/events/172803-origins#/
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