Goldsmith’s busy war story alienates audience
CHEERS TO SARAJEVO
WHEN speaking to Aimee Goldsmith about this play, it was obvious she had developed an obsession with this part of the world. It is that passion that she should be writing about.
What about this part of the world so grabbed her imagination? Why, with the world letting rip all over the planet, is this the conflict she relates too? Is it the people? The fact that she has been there and saw the ravaged country just after its horrific war? Is it the ethnic cleansing, the mass rape of their women, the rape camps?
How should we as South Africans relate to this story? What can we learn? Just talking about a war that was isn’t going to hold the attention of an audience who, as I write, are witnessing one of the worst crises of the Syrian war as Aleppo is crushed by the regime and its allies.
Giving us an instance of a rape, mentioning the different ethnic groups in the country fighting one another, doesn’t give enough or explore something different which sheds a different light. Nothing more is said than the little South Africans still remember about the Balkans battle. Probably most of us can remember how brother turned against brother, religion was a rallying cry and their war atrocities are still being tried in The Hague.
How many know where Sarajevo is? What this centuries-old war is about? Why did the war erupt in such savage fashion? What can we South Africans learn from this? After all, we are the audience even if they can tour this internationally.
That’s also why the use of Serbian for almost half of the play and in probably the pivotal scene simply makes no sense. DIRECTOR: Lidija Marelic PLAYWRIGHTS: Aimee Goldsmith, Lidija Marelic CAST: Duane Behrens, Aimee Goldsmith, Chris van Rensburg, Yiorgo Sotoropolis, Julian Kruger VENUE: Sandton’s Auto and General Theatre on the Square UNTIL: October 8 RATING: ★★✩✩✩ Why would you not want your audience to understand what is being said? But that’s the feeling with much of the play.
Arguably, people who come from that region and know the intimate details of the war and speak the language will be emotionally affected by a scant retelling of something they already know, but need reminding of, the emotional impact revisited.
The facts imparted in the play could probably be packed into 30 minutes. There’s too much padding with the South African photographer responsible for much dancing to songs, clenching his fists and playing soldier with some real soldiers and more.
Does this young group have something going for them? They do. The staging and production are professionally done, but there’s not enough substance to play with for those watching. If you’re focusing on a slogan that is being unfolded, but it is in Serbian and your audience won’t understand, what’s the point?
It’s about bringing in an outside eye, testing the text to see what the message is and if it comes across and then, the passion that initiated the project, should be the driving force.