More than just entertainment

Actor, writer and director, Ralph Lawson is coming off a successful season after directing the Playhouse Company’s hit show, The Sound of Music, in December. He’s now back on stage, this time co-directing Rory Booth with Ashwin Singh in Singh’s Reoca Ligh

RORY Booth plays multiple characters in Reoca Light, a story about Sunil Mohan, who, after having to close his parents’ convenience store after a spate of break-ins, recounts the history of this store to journalists. Booth plays Mohan, Mohan’s father, his uncle, Johnny, and his parents’ employee, Themba. Ralph, how do you go about choosing the plays you want to direct?

I believe that the theatre is there to enlighten while seeking to entertain and I look for potential in both areas. The latter is a vital element of course; without “entertainment”, our loftier ideals to educate or elucidate can’t impinge on an audience. Entertainment doesn’t simply mean escapism or a good laugh, though; to entertain is to engage fully, to transport intellectually and emotionally through comedy or drama in order to provide a cathartic experience of some sort for the audience. When choosing a play, therefore, I look primarily for this potential. Is there a particular message you want to send with the choice of the plays you direct?

Ultimately, I suppose, I prefer work that deals with the broader universal truths that affect us as human beings. “Agitprop” theatre, as it is called, dealing as it does with specific causes, undoubtedly has an important function – but it is limited by the particular cause in question and is of less interest to me as a director. This doesn’t mean that the plays I direct don’t home in on microsections of our contemporary society. On the contrary, like Reoca Light, they should. But disseminating a universal truth in a contemporary social context is for me far more interesting. “To hold the mirror up to nature”, as Shakespeare put it, seems to me to be the primary function of the playwright – and I will always seek out plays which do this. What was it about Reoca Light that made you feel you needed to direct it?

Reoca Light is a wonderful vehicle for a versatile actor. It is challenging for a director. It’s a human story about a family within a specific community over an extended period of our history; it deals with the life of a particular culture that I respect and admire for a number of reasons. And casting Rory– why was he the perfect man for the role?

Rory is a very talented performer who has a unique flair for work of this kind. He has the emotional range necessary to bring the play to life – and, not least, he is a great professional, which is another way of saying that he works tirelessly to develop his talent. Will we see another side to Rory as an actor?

I hope so! In the past I haven’t witnessed the intense degree of emotional commitment that he is bringing to the role. How much control have you allowed him to have with the roles?

I believe strongly that the duty of a director is to suggest the right path for an actor to follow in his quest to create a role. It’s important to me that the actors I work with can own their creation; at the same time I see myself as one who prepares fertile soil in which the actor’s performance can take root and flourish. I try to create complete freedom for the actor to experiment, to sketch out ideas and then guide him along a path that is in line with the playwright’s intentions. There are so many untold South African stories that are available. Are you constantly on the search for something new to put on stage?

Yes, we are rich in a myriad of stories which should – and can – be told. One of the reasons that I have undertaken this production is that it deals with a culture to which, technically, I don’t belong. But we all belong to the wonderful heterogeneous culture that is South Africa and I, for one, feel privileged to be a part of it. Is it difficult interpreting the works of another writer, especially someone like Ashwin Singh? Do you ever feel like there’s pressure to not change too much?

You have to trust your author. In this case it’s easy because I have enormous respect for Ashwin Singh, as a writer, an intellectual, a man of the theatre and a human being. Is it more difficult directing a one-man show, compared to a major cast, like your recent show, The Sound of Music?

One-man shows are definitely a challenge. Simplicity is difficult to achieve in any work of art and audiences have come to expect all the external bells and whistles to entice them to see a show. Simplicity can be the most powerful aspect of any piece of work. What has been one of your greatest achievements as a director?

The most memorable work I’ve done has been the result of the input of artists who have given generously and who have worked tirelessly together for the good of the whole. It’s these experiences that have been the truly meaningful ones. Why should more people make sure they go out and watch theatre shows?

Shows are a reflection of the state of health of our society and can help to unify us as a nation. The communal experience of sitting in an audience can be a very potent one – remember, the origins of theatre were religious. I’m not suggesting that attending theatre is like attending church or anything like that; but it can be a powerful and subtly uplifting experience. Are you happy with the state of theatre in South Africa? Is the talent growing?

There is no doubt that our talent base is growing fantastically. My work in the development field – with initiatives like, for example, the Playhouse Company’s Community Arts Mentorship Programme – attests to the fact that there is wonderful enthusiasm and a burning desire among young people to be a part of the industry. What we need are more outlets for these young people to express themselves and to earn a living. Please give us a reason why we shouldn’t miss Reoca Light?

A virtuoso performance of a moving and thought-provoking play that celebrates a slice of life in a beautiful city called Durban! Reoca Light runs at the Playhouse Loft from April 5-8.