After almost 18 months of renovations, the revamped Laager Theatre at the Market will reopen with no less than two productions created by two luminaries in South Africa’s cultural history.
Adapting and reviving works written by Can Themba and Barney Simon, two young directors have been tasked with these productions. “I wanted the old and the young to hold hands,” says artistic director James Ngcobo, giving a nod to Simon a second time because of his historic mentoring to young artists.
Simon and Themba became cultural icons through their creative work and its socio-political critiques of the oppressive regime of the day.
Director Khayelihle Dom Gumede was the recipient of the second Sophie Mgcina Best New Emerging Voice awarded by the Market and Ngcobo is determined that these awards should be recognised on stage.
That’s why he’s revisiting an old flame with Themba’s Crepuscule. It was driven by an adaptation done by Gumede who will be mentored by Kgafela oa Magogodi (uses poetry to get his social message across). “I need these young directors/artists to be guided by people who understand the period and the time and to bring authenticity to the work,” he says.
Following on the Themba opening on July 11, Clive Mathibe will be marking the 20th anniversary of Simon’s death with a revival of Cincinatti – Scenes from the city . He will be mentored by Vanessa Cooke, who played in the first production in the ’80s. Ngcobo believes she has the historical memory to add to the heart beat of the play. “She knew what was going on at the time and even when these young directors have read about those times, they haven’t lived through them,” says Ngcobo.
Mathibe is in Canada working as assistant director on a production of Julius Caesar, in an exchange skills programme which will result in a young Canadian director doing a similar stint at The Market later this year.
Themba’s adapted short story, Crepuscule, is believed to be a fictionalised interpretation of Themba’s real-life love affair with a white woman, Jean Hart, during the 1950s.
Set in the often-revered and romanticised world of Sophiatown, the work deals with contemporary socio-political questions about Themba and Hart’s illicit relationship. The story is used to unpack how much of our identity is formed by our environment or individual choices. It’s a story about human connection, something that was often absent between specific groups in the apartheid years. For Themba, It was a search for freedom and humanity in a world that had turned its back on those ideals.
Award-winning TV actor, Leroy Gopal, who isn’t often seen on stage. will play the role of Themba in his first appearance at the Market Theatre together with Kate Liquorish, Lerato Mvelase (Emmy Nominated), Conrad Kemp (last on the Broadway stage in a production of Romeo and Juliet), Nhlanhla Mahlangu and Thami Ngoma.
The two plays will further be linked by Nadya Cohen’s sets which will mark a similar landscape to make that connection. There will also be an exhibition of Cincinatti to remind patrons to Crepuscule that there is a bond between the two works.
Both plays, hopes Ngcobo, will inspire conversations about our current socio-political landscape and issues that have remained with us since the days of these iconic works from the era of struggle and protest theatre. It’s all about young people looking at a world that might seem familiar but has to be experienced to really understand.
• Crepuscule: July 11 to August 2, followed by Cincinatti – Scenes from the City Life: August 19 to September 13. There is a discounted package of a ticket to see both shows for R180, a saving of 50% for any day of their choice. This season ticket aims to ignite a new generation of audience. Times: Tuesday to Saturday: 8.15pm, Sunday: 3.15pm.