Comedy at its most charming

DRAMATIST Nicholas Ellenbogen shrewdly explores the dynamic between spontaneity and convention in his two-hander – and the result is captivating.

A strength of The

Bulawayo Boogie is its authenticity. The characters, action and ambience all ring with the veracity of lived experience. As Ellenbogen comments in his Playwright’s Note, this work is inspired by his childhood memories of colonial Bulawayo in the 1930s.

A set in which every prop is calculated to evoke that era reinforces the impression of entering another world.

When a well-to-do young(ish) man notices a sign announcing: Piano Lessons, he investigates this potential for cultural enrichment – with unexpected results. It turns out that the piano teacher is a Bohemian, hard-drinking Irishwoman. Along with Chopin and Mozart, she has the temerity to teach jazz, ragtime, and boogie, music dismissed by Bulawayo’s social élite as “devil’s music”.

The man engages this intriguing woman (Moira) in conversation, and the seeds of an enduring friendship are sown. As it ripens, his inhibitions as well as his prejudices are shed, making him a better person. Moira predictably falls foul of the society on which she depends for a living as bigotry leads to ostracism, but – as in any comedy worth its salt – all ends well.

Michele Maxwell sparkles as Moira: apart from her personality and theatrical ability, she has the musical prowess to convince as a piano teacher, with a voice to match. Co-lead, Mark Elderkin shows the penetration of character which has won him recognition in productions such as Champ, with dry humour adding insight to his portrayal.