(Above: Members of both casts.
Pic by Val Adamson)
No Added Bank Charges
- Written and directed by Dr Verne Rowin Munsamy
The Bald Soprano -
Written by Eugène Ionesco, directed by Palesa Matabane
DUT Courtyard Theatre: October 6, 7 & 8.
The ever innovative Durban University of Technology's Drama
and Production Studies Department is extending the performance range of their
students with two unusual one-act comedy / dramas to be staged as a double
bill: an original farce, No Added Bank
Charges written and directed by lecturer Dr Verne Rowin Munsamy; and the
iconic absurdist play, The Bald Soprano
written by Eugène Ionesco, and directed by lecturer Palesa Matabane, both
coming to the Courtyard Theatre on DUT’s Ritson campus from Monday October 6
until Wednesday October 8, with afternoon and evening shows daily.
No Added Bank Charges which is written and directed by Dr Munsamy, was inspired by the news during Covid that people couldn’t afford to pay bank and home loans. The plight of farmers not being able to pay the mortgages for their farms especially resonated with Munsamy. “The tragedy of this dreadful situation struck a chord. I built on this idea as a starting point which developed into characters needing to rob a bank in order to give the stolen money back to the self-same bank to repay their loans. I saw the comedy in this desperate but bizarre situation. The plot grew to include a fortune teller reading tea leaves; inept security guards; newspaper reporters covering the story; a physical fight involving food, shaving foam and pool noodles…. And a very pregnant character giving birth. On stage!”
“I suppose a cathartic coping mechanism is laughing at problematic situations. The tragi-comedic content and the brisk timing is great material for the students to test their physical theatre and comedy skills,” considers Munsamy.
Continuing the comedy theme is Palesa Matabane’s choice of work: Eugène Ionesco’s madcap one act play, The Bald Soprano - recognized as a modern classic and an important seminal work in the Theatre of the Absurd, which came to its own in a brittle society disenchanted with making sense of life after WW2. Ionesco is one of the foremost figures of the French avant-garde theatre in the 20th century. Interestingly, since 1957, it has been permanent on stage at the same theatre in Paris, which holds the world record for the play that has been staged continuously in the same theatre for the longest time. Various readings and interpretations of The Bald Soprano are still regularly staged around the country, and it is still one of the most performed plays in France.
Absurdist theatre is deceptively difficult to perform, and technically hugely challenging because its action and dialogue are totally illogical!
The basic premise of The Bald Soprano (it doesn’t really have a plot) is that an English couple named the Smiths invite their friends, the Martins, over for an evening of polite conversation. They are joined by Mary, the Smiths' maid, and the Fire Chief, Mary's lover. The group exchanges meaningless conversation … until chaos erupts.
Director Palesa Matabane is making it more interesting, as she has more than one actor simultaneously playing a single character – sharing mannerisms and dialogue.
Both plays have casts of 20-something students. The productions form part of the department’s Performance Technique Three Module.
Munsamy said: “We are certainly having a lot of fun with the project, and it is a great test of versatility and style for the students!”. “We sincerely hope the audiences find the situations as funny – and in many cases as ridiculous - as we do!”
Performance dates and
times:
No Added Bank Charges
- Written and directed by Dr Verne Rowin Munsamy
Dates: Mon 6, Tues 7, Wed 8 Oct
Show times: 14h00 and 18h00 daily
The Bald Soprano -
Written by Eugène Ionesco, Directed by Palesa Matabane
Dates: Tues 7, Wed 8 Oct
Show times: 14h00 and
18h00 daily
DUT Courtyard Theatre:
51 Steve Biko Rd, Musgrave, Durban.
Guarded, off-road parking available on site.
Tickets R50 (R30 students) available through secretary Bawinile at 031 373 2194, email: BawinileM1@dut.ac.za - or at the door.