IN THE CITY OF PARADISE. Directed by Mark Fleishman, with Anne Bosch, Athenkosi Mfamela, Ayanda Haas, Beviol Swartz, Emmanuel Ntsamba, Kay Smith, Livie’ Ncanywa, Loyiso Damoyi, Luthando Mvandaba, Lwando Magwaca, Marlon Swarts, Meagan Booysen, Mfundo Zono, Natasha Gana, Thando Suselo, Tina Hashe, Willmare Meloy, Zimkhita Mzimba, Zolisa Nkonyana and Indalo Stofile. Costume design by Craig Leo. TRACEY SAUNDERS reviews
THIS modern reworking of the ancient Greek story of the House of Atreus is as bloody and vengeful as any modern day television series or movie. It would seem that despite technological advances and many scientific discoveries, human nature remains intrinsically unchanged. Fleishman originally reworked the story with a cast of UCT students in 1998.
That version was set against the background of the TRC in South Africa and any illusion about the success of the reconciliation process are shattered in this visually arresting and compelling production. The cast are trainees from the current training programme which Magnet Theatre has run successfully in various formats since 1987.
Although there is training in all performance disciplines the trainees of Magnet excel in the realm of physical theatre. In this production the combination of the heightened text and the tightly choreographed physical theatre sequences make for an interesting adaptation. The play opens with a dialogue between Agamemnon (Lwando Magwaca) and Clytemenestra (Indalo Stofile) where she curses him for sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia in order to appease the goddess Artemis. Stofile is a professional actress and participated in 2006 in the Community Group Intervention programme which Magnet ran in Khayelitsha. She has since graduated from UCT and her appearance in this production brings her full circle to her acting roots. She plays the role of the beleaguered matriarch with a mix of haughtiness and sultry disdain. Her hatred for her husband blinds her to the consequences of her murderous actions and is mirrored by her daughter’s desire for revenge. The remainder of the production is set 20 years after the initial sacrifice. While the original text is adhered to, the correlation between the initial “sacrifice” of the country in 1994 and the situation in Argos with the current dissatisfaction of the populace is brilliantly portrayed. The Greek chorus, dressed in the ubiquitous 21st century uniform of disgruntled youth, the hoodie, toyi-toyi decrying their rage and demanding justice. A scene straight from the many service delivery protests which are commonplace. The palace revolt, replete with graffiti on the palace wall is the backdrop to the personal wars waging within. In a cycle of murderous revenge the arbitrary nature of justice is portrayed by a farcical arm wrestling competition. When retribution seems to be snatched away the chorus mock the process of amnesty and in a brutal scene of mob justice they demand their own form of vengeance The acrid smell of burnt matches is ironic given that the theatre occupies the remains of the old Lion Match Factory.
The roles of the siblings Electra and Orestes are each played by two actors. Smith and Mzimba embody different characteristics of Clytemenestra's vengeful daughter. Dressed in waif like shifts the pair alternate in the role which embodies the “perverted hatred and vengeful rage” which predominate throughout the text. Her brother, Orestes, played by Mfamela and Nkonyana is as multifaceted and the dual portrayal of two pivotal roles is an interesting aspect of this adaptation. In the City of Paradise is not without its light hearted moments and innuendo runs through the script. Gana in her role as the nurse is the most, if not the only likeable character and plays her part with a large dash of irreverent humour.
Leo’s costumes are reminiscent of a post apocalyptic landscape and wouldn’t be out of place on the set of Mad Max. Clytemnestra’s rich ruby dress slices through the generally dark set and costumes as surely as the river of blood which divides her family. The soundtrack is a slightly disconcerting aspect of this version and distracts from the intensity of emotion on stage rather than enhancing it. The play is a lengthy one, something one only realises at the end of the performance such is the fast pace of the internecine blood feud. The staging of the final scene is reminiscent of Da Vinci's portrait of the Last Supper. This is no romantic, religious moment though, but devolves in to a frenetic feeding so depraved that the devouring of flesh is the ultimate denouement. The layering of the personal and political and the adaptation across the eons results in a sobering tale of human greed and the bloody repercussions of political aspirations and personal vendettas. Fleishman and his cast have created a modern day cautionary tale which we would do well to heed. The price of revenge is held up for scrutiny and while “victims multiply like sheep upon the slaughterhouse floor” we are left pondering the price of reconciliation deferred.
In the City of Paradise showcases the sterling work done by Magnet who in addition to training potential actors have also served as an incubator for 15 students who have attended UCT. Trainees at Magnet are often unable to attend tertiary institutions and the Training and Job Creation programme serves a dual role of training actors and providing a bridging environment for those who wish to pursue further education. Supported by funding from the National Arts Council the Expanded Public Works Programme,Distell ,Rand Merchant Bank and the HCI Foundation amongst others Magnet continues to be a vital element of the thriving theatre industry in Cape Town.
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