Singhs’ tribute to unsung heroes
THE Singh Siblings (Ashwin Singh and Shantal Singh) will present award-winning playwright Ashwin Singh’s one-man play Reoca Light at the Playhouse in April.
The play celebrates the indomitability of the human spirit and pays tribute to unsung heroes in South Africa past and present.
It is performed by award-winning actor Rory Booth, and co-directed by Singh and director and veteran theatre-maker Ralph Lawson.
Singh says the play is about a young man, Sunil Mohan, who is presiding over the closure of his parent’s convenience store after a series of robberies. He is approached by a local journalist for the story behind the store, which became known as the “light of Reoca”.
Mohan recounts how his parents started trading from a hut before purchasing the store and how they were inspired by his great-great-grandfather, who dreamed of starting a convenience store while working on the sugar cane plantations in the 1870s.
Mohan relives his experiences with the three men who most influenced his life – his father; his mentor, Uncle Johnny; and his parents’ employee, Themba. Combining storytelling, cutting-edge character drama, a variety of comedy styles, and bold visuals, Reoca Light is a unique theatrical experience.
It was runner-up in the one and two-hander category of the 2012 Pansa Play Reading Festival. It also features in Singh’s anthology of plays, Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice, published in 2013 by Aurora Metro Books. The anthology is being studied at universities in South Africa, India, Canada and the UK.
Reoca Light runs at The Playhouse Loft from April 5 to 8 at 7.30pm, before a national and international tour. Tickets are R100 (with concessions for students and pensioners) at Computicket. – Goodlife reporter