LIFESTYLE - ASHWIN Singh, an award-winning playwright, novelist and film-maker, will return to the stage in March with the premiere production of his play, Free-Fall.
The production will be staged at the Playhouse Loft Theatre from March 17 to 19.
Directed by theatre-maker Ralph Lawson, it features Cara Roberts, Menzi Mkhwane, Mayuri Naidu, Sandile Mthembu and Singh himself.
Singh said Free-Fall is a contemporary chase thriller with a paranormal element.
“A young journalist, Karen Strydom, hides from prominent advocate and political player Paul Sibisi. Karen witnessed Paul commit a killing, but he contends it was an accident and wants to prevent her from revealing her version of events to the police. She hides in the former house of deceased journalist and activist Seema Sewlal and becomes trapped in the house when the ghost of Seema suddenly appears.
“Meanwhile, Paul’s father, Thulani, a renowned anti-apartheid activist and the former lover of Seema in the ’80s, now feels his old flame’s spirit calling him to their former domain. Fate eventually throws the four characters together as the country’s past confronts its present in order to re-imagine a more equitable future,” he said.
Singh said Free-Fall explores important themes in contemporary South Africa, such as endemic corruption and decay, a culture of violence, freedom of the press and protection for whistle-blowers.
“I wrote the play in 2021. I was motivated to do so by the events that have transpired in our country over the last decade. This has been a time of widespread public sector corruption, aided and abetted by some private sector organisations. There has been very little transparency and accountability, hence the facilitation of state capture. There has also been a rise in activism from civil society organisations in the last few years again, and a powerful attempt to hold South Africa’s leaders and key institutions to account.
“A playwright has to respond to the socio-political reality of his time. My oeuvre has also examined our turbulent history and the miracle of our transition into a relatively peaceful democracy. But we all have to play a role now to tackle the current decay, corruption and abuse of power. Of course, as is always, the case with my plays, I explore these issues through a complex drama with layered characters. There are no one-dimensional monsters.”
He said the recent release of the Zondo Commission’s report following its inquiry into state capture, as well as the July unrest, confirmed the relevance of the play.
“I certainly believe that audiences will relate to the story and themes,” said Singh.
Cast
Free-Fall is the fourth playwright/director collaboration between Singh and Lawson, with Lawson having previously directed Singh’s seminal works Reoca Light (2017), To House (2017) and Into the Grey (2018). Reoca Light was Singh’s last performed work before the pandemic.
The cast is made up of a group of acclaimed actors/playwright/directors.
Singh said: “Cara Roberts is one of South Africa’s most accomplished stage actors with an eclectic body of work. She plays the chief protagonist, Karen Strydom. Cara has the vigour and depth of character to play this complex role. She also has an Afrikaans-speaking background, which Karen has as well.
“Menzi Mkhwane is widely regarded as one of our finest performers and playwrights. He has played lead roles in two of my best-known plays, To House and Into the Grey. I have therefore worked closely with him before and observed his professionalism and versatility on stage. He is ideally suited, given his wide array of skills, to play the antagonist, Paul Sibisi, in Free-Fall.
“Sandile Mthembu is a fine character actor who is gaining prominence every year, even during the pandemic. I was once one of his mentors at the Playhouse Company development programme, CAMP. I can say, with passion and pride, that he has developed superbly over the years and is now a nuanced performer on both stage and screen. He plays Thulani Sibisi and he has the nous to play the character as both a young man and then later, as a sickly old man nearing death.”
Naidu is well-known to television audiences, having been an actor on the box for several years. However, Singh said she began in theatre and still has a great love and flair for the stage.
“I first performed with her on stage in Ronnie Govender’s Thunsil in 2009 and then again in 2013 in the collaborative work Culture Clash written by Edmund Mhlongo and myself, and commissioned by The Playhouse Company. Mayuri has the dramatic range and emotional depth to play Seema Sewlal, a character who experiences a gauntlet of emotions in Free-Fall.”
‘A human story’
Born and raised in Effingham Heights, now based in Johannesburg, Naidu is trained in film, television, theatre and voice artistry.
She started out on the Durban theatre scene at the Catalina Theatre as part of the ensemble cast for Gail Snyman’s Sasol Fever, which was closely followed by Themi Venturas’s The Compleat Hstry of Durbn.
She has worked with theatre stalwarts such as Ronnie Govender and Singh, as well as the Siwela Sonke Dance Company, and has done numerous television dramas, including Muvhango, High Rollers, Broken Vows, The Estate, Isono and currently Generations.
The 38-year-old said: “Ashwin has an incredible way of using his words as weapons and making his point in a lyrical way. The script appealed to me as a love story and a human story – the idea that you need to fight for what's right, no matter how much difficulty it may cause you.”
She said her character loves hard and has a straight moral compass.
“Right and wrong is black and white to her. I would like to think I live my life according to a specific moral code and as ethical as I can be. I hope I am kind, fair and empathetic to those around me. I also would like to think that I will use whatever resources I have to help those who may not be in a similar position. I think Seema would do the same.”
With live performance slowly starting to revive since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Naidu said theatre holds an important space today.
“In this age of immediate gratification and social media focus, theatre will stimulate your mind and imagination in a way nothing else can. There's a thrill to watching live performance that is unmatched.
“A human connection, that is really what is at the heart of artistic creation. This kind of energy and feeling of unity is something all people should experience. It can take away your sadness, heartache and loneliness – if only for a brief moment. Coming out of Covid, young people need that connection and human bond now more than ever,” she said.
* Tickets for Free-Fall can be purchased via the Playhouse Box Office by calling 031 369 9540, or 031 369 9596. Performances commence at 7.30pm.
POST