(Above: Rajesh Gopie, Shika
Budhoo & Shika Maharaj)
Honouring 165 years of Indian Heritage through theatre and
the arts, Quiet Masterpiece Letters of Suresh for the Red Mango Arts Festival debuts in
Durban at Sastri College, Durban from October 8 to 11, 205.
A quiet Masterpiece: A local reimagining of Pulitzer nominated American playwright, Rajiv Joseph, Letters of Suresh, is one of the highlights at the inaugural Red Mango Arts Festival to be held at the Sastri College in Durban.
Letters of Suresh is billed as a poetic exploration of identity. A moody, gentle, four-hander drama: intimate mysteries are revealed through a series of letters between strangers, friends, daughters, and lovers, many with little in common but a hunger for human connection and a shared history.
It is a collection of monologues that link a disparate group of people - Melody (Shika Budhoo) a 40-something year old teacher; a Roman Catholic Priest; Suresh (Sahil Samlal) to whom Father Hashimoto corresponded and Amelia (Shika Maharaj), a middle-aged, married museum director who had an affair with Suresh.
Letters of Suresh is a companion piece written 13 years after Rajiv Joseph’s beautifully constructed Animals Out of Paper – honouring the art of origami. Letters is celebration of the lost art of letter writing set in Japan, India and USA, directed by Rajesh Gopie.
This lyrical and intimate play explores how people shape and reshape each other through memory, myth and imagination
The inaugural Red Mango Arts Festival to be held at Durban’s Sastri College, marks 165 years since the arrival of Indians in South Africa with a carefully curated four-day line-up of multi-cultural theatre, music, comedy, and community connection.
The brainchild of internationally-acclaimed actor and acting coach, Rajesh Gopie, who is passionate about sharing unique stories of his home city, has put together a theatre programme of important works seldom seen in Durban, which focus on intergenerational voices, personal and cultural identify, and bold narratives.
The Red Mango Arts Festival is a homegrown celebration of South African heritage, using the transformative power of performance to reflect on the past, inspire the present, and shape a more inclusive future. The programme comprises stories which honour the heritage of South African Indians, being performed alongside a major musical, two productions for young audiences, a magic show and cultural concert.
Booking and full programme is through Webtickets.
Performances of Letters of Suresh are October 9 at 13h30 and 19h30