TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Directed by Darryl Spijkers, starring Julia Mattes, Samantha Taylor, Thomas Agates, Dylan Damonse and Monray Davids. At The Playhouse Theatre, Somerset West, at 7.30pm on Wednesday and Friday, and at 6.30pm on Saturday. STEYN DU TOIT reviews.
ANYONE familiar with Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird will agree that it’s not so much a novel as it is a visceral experience that seeps into your soul.
Written with the ability to evoke vivid visuals in its reader’s mind, this Southern Gothic bildungsroman not only won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, but is also considered a powerful accelerator to the success of the American Civil Rights Movement.
Based on Christopher Sergel’s 1990 theatrical adaptation and running at The Playhouse Theatre in Somerset West, the story takes place in the fictional “tired old town” of Maycomb, Alabama. Directed by Darryl Spijkers for the Hottentots Holland Dramatic Society, it chronicles the adventures and observations of its 6-year-old protagonist over the course of three eventful years.
Following his excellent staging of A Streetcar Named Desire at Artscape in January, it is clear that Spijkers once again has his finger firmly on the pulse of another literary classic. Through a large cast of nearly 50, an evocative set as well as several heartfelt musical performances, he authentically manages to translate the novel’s themes of friendship, racism, injustice and hope to stage.
Starring a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Julia Mattes in the role of tomboy Scout Finch, the play is presented as a series of flashbacks as remembered by her as a grown-up (Samantha Taylor). Through Scout’s memories of tyre swings, gospel hymns and hot Alabama afternoons, the viewer momentarily forgets that he or she is an adult – instead seeing the world through the innocent, unambiguous eyes of a child.
All of the novel’s other memorable characters show up along the way, including Jem (Timothy Stadler), Scout’s older brother, Atticus (Thomas Agates), her widowed father, Calpurnia (Dylan Damonse), the sassy maid responsible for raising her, and Boo Radley (Gene Haasbroek), a mysterious recluse who lives in the house next door.
Told in 14 emotional scenes, To Kill a Mockingbird also focuses on an important trial (and its repercussions) as detailed in the book. By allowing the viewer to follow the legal proceedings surrounding Tom Robinson (Monray Davids) – a black man defended in court by Atticus after being falsely accused of raping a white woman – the play becomes a microcosm for the struggle for social change that was occurring in the US at the time of the novel’s creation.
As a director, Spijkers here continues to prove himself one of the best in local amateur dramatic circles. Not only does his passion and understanding for the pieces he puts out shine through to all aspects of any given production, but he also has an exceptional ability to work with non-professional actors. A bright, incredibly talented little leading lady, he succeeds here in drawing out a genuine and disarming performance from the 8-year-old Mattes.
Stadler and Tristan Slater, Scout’s brother and best friend respectively, are also guided into embodying their roles with maturity, as is Agates, who fills some big shoes after Gregory Peck’s depiction of Atticus in Robert Mulligan’s superb 1962 film adaptation. Following her stellar portrayal of Tennessee Williams’s melodramatic antiheroine, Blanche DuBois ( Streetcar), it is great seeing Taylor on stage again as well, albeit in a more understated, reflective capacity.
Designed by Zanodean Cassiem, the production’s outstanding set also deserves a specific mention. Utilising the theatre’s intimate performance space to the max, the result is a visual feast brimming with tiled roofs, white picket fences and wide porches. Several of the set pieces can also be turned around, transforming a tree-filled village into a sweltering courtroom in front of the viewer’s eyes.
The final component that makes To Kill a Mockingbird such an arresting production is its music. After greeting the audience with images of notable Civil Rights figures – including Rosa Parks, Malcolm X and Lyndon Johnson – Spijkers goes on to reflect further on the deep drama and rich flare of the South through the reworking of well-known spirituals. Led by Francois Denyssen and Nawaal Howa, songs such as Yellow Bird, Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man, and Row, Row, Row Your Boat are each fervently given new life.
With only three performances left and tickets selling fast, make sure you secure a seat for this moving and enjoyable production.
l Tickets are R60 to R90. To book, call Computicket at 0861 915 8000, or see www.computicket.com