Delightful tale of a cattle driver
Propositions Picnic, By the Sea. CATTLE DRIVE. Written by Nicholas and Luke Ellenbogen. Directed by Jule Heidelbach, with Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, Motheo Madisa and Tafara Nyatsanza. At Rosebank Theatre until Saturday. TRACEY SAUNDERS reviews
THERE’S’s an African proverb that says, “until the lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”
African stories are rarely seen on local stages, and tales of the lion are even rarer.
In this case the lion is a cattle driver and the tale is of an epic cattle drive through Botswana to Johannesburg at the beginning of the Second World War - a seldom told historical journey.
Pivotal to the piece is Mkhwanazi, an actor with a physical theatre vocabulary which allows him to epitomise the quiet feline grace of a lioness as effortlessly as he portrays a wild horse.
He is an embittered Cattle Driver, revered, reviled and incredibly lonely.
The circumstances of his current situation are revealed slowly in the play and his final journey begins with an encounter with his estranged younger brother.
Separated by 16 years, differing paternities and varied educations, the gulf between the two is as wide as the vast distance they are destined to cross with a large herd of cattle.
The role of cattle in the cultural and social life of the Tswana population, a central theme, is in stark contrast to the mere economic value placed on them by the mining companies in Johannesburg.
The importance of cattle in Botswana is confirmed by the fact that THE eighth annual GrandWest Open Mic Jazz singing competition came to a dramatic crescendo at the Market Hall last week when the top six singers competed in the final stage.
It was Austin-Lee Jacobs from Strandfontein who took top honours after another night of moving performances by the contestants.
He took home a prize package worth over R70 000.
Included in the package is a R35 000 cash prize from GrandWest, a demo recording at Valvehouse Studios, eight sessions of career mentoring from Bev Scott-Brown, Spotlight Music, eight vocal training lessons from Kim Kallie Performance Academy, a Beta-87C microphone from Wild & Marr, a live performance opportunity at The Crypt and two tickets to The Cape Music Exchange Conference.
The runner up, Ruby Truter won prizes worth over R28 000, and the third place performer Stephan aside from 2007 and 2013 there have been more cattle than people in the country.
Audiences will be familiar with Mkhwanazi from his award winning performance in a A Man and a Dog.
He has performed in several of Ellenbogen’s plays including the popular play about cricket, Slips.
The other two members of the Erenreich took home prizes valued at R15 000.
Prize sponsors included The Table Bay Hotel and Golden Valley TOP performer Wendy Oldfield is back with a new track about consciousness, our place on this world and our voice of significance. A Reminder To The World is written and produced by Oldfield and she also sings along with The Wild Bunch, 10 teenage singers she has been mentoring.
Says Oldfield, “the song seemed to write itself, and it felt like it did not belong to me, it was not meant for my voice – the message was coming through me, but it was meant to be carried to you through the voices of young people, of teenagers. I felt cast will be less familiar but not for long.
Madisa has already proved his mettle in several AFDA production and his portrayal of the younger brother, desperate for his brother’s approval is heart-warming.
Nyatsanza continues to delight following his debut at the Rosebank Theatre.
His role as the narrator, perched up above the action of the piece doesn’t call for the physicality of the other two performers but he has a presence which provides a steady hand and guides the narrative with a steady hand.
He relates a “story of a war between the old ways and the new, compelling in its simplicity” and does so with the assistance of a handful of traditional musical instruments and a beguiling charm.
Thanks to the ingenuity of Ellenbogen’s design he occupies a platform above, but not removed from the dancing and singing on the stage.
This is a delightful piece of theatre, gentle and unassuming and although few of us will relate to the journey of a cattle driver, the family dynamics, buried resentments and long held grudges are all too familiar.
The denouement avoids a trite “happy ever after” reconciliatory moment and while there is a lingering sadness there is something satisfying about the personal resolution that the younger brother arrives at.
Don’t be surprised if after watching this you are tempted to pick up the phone and settle that ancient argument, or bury a hatchet you have carried for years. Hotel.
Commenting on the 2016 competition, Elouise Matthys, PR and Promotions Manager at GrandWest, said: “As anticipated, the final stage of the 2016 Open Mic Jazz singing competition was a spectacular showcase of remarkable talent.
The six finalists put on a super show which provided a fitting end to the weeks of grueling competition which started in August.
“We were privileged to see some tremendous jazz performers on our stage during this year’s competition and our judging panel had a tough task deciding on our top three.
“We extend heartfelt congratulations to our top three and thank all of our competitors for making the competition such a great success,” she added. - Staff Writer
Like on Facebook: GrandWestCasinoAndEntertainmentWorld, or follow the show on Twitter @ GrandWestSA it would be heard differently if the words came from ‘the mouths of babes’.” The work plays with the concept of the tipping point, the critical mass created by just one more voice, one more word, and of the change you can bring about if you add your voice and you speak your truth. “One more tree and the wood becomes a forest. One more bee and they hive into a swarm. One more breath of wind blows the last grain of sand and a mountain is reborn.” - Staff writer
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3cczxr46NQ, listen to the track on soundcloud.com