Vaslav
DIRECTOR: Lara Bye
PERFORMER: Godfrey Johnson
VENUE: PopArt, Maboneng Precinct
DATES: From tomorrow to Sunday
RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)
Diane de Beer
Cabaret is a genre that was particularly popular in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, our own South African brand which was mainly singing old European songs with some chatter in between.
But then it fizzled out as the songs became tired and only the few who could reinvent the genre and create their own kind of theatre survived. Vaslav gives us a glimpse of what cabaret for the new millennium might look like – and it’s exciting.
First, Godfrey Johnson had the vision of the man and what he could portray on stage and then he cleverly included Lara Bye who has done astonishing work with a vision that uses the multitalented performer in a way that stretches every sinew of both his body and mind.
It is as much about the story of this extraordinary artist, whose career was truncated by his mental collapse and tragic life in institutions following his worldwide fame, as it is about how the story is being told.
It’s Bye’s vision and Johnson’s performance that take you to the heart of both the story and this kind of theatre which envelopes the space and the minds of those watching.
Johnson is performer, pianist, singer and throws himself into this role with a madness that’s compelling as you watch the horrific unraveling of an artist who mesmerised everyone who watched him perform and is still recognised as one of the greatest dancers ever.
Watching a performance in Grahamstown on the Fringe, this little gem shone sharply and again proved how powerful a medium can be when used well. Solo performances are no easy thing, but when you have all the elements coalescing as they do here, it can be sublime.
If this is how they’re going to approach cabaret, bring it on. With everything happening around us, mindless theatre isn’t going to pull them in time and again. But when you can tell a story with such passion, artistry, visual mastery, while illuminating something about life, it’s something special.
Bye is one of those directors who seems to have a deft touch with these small theatrical moments and with someone as talented as Johnson to work with, exploiting and stretching everything he can give and more, this becomes a special solo turn.
Don’t miss it, it’s a complete theatrical experience which turns a small moment into something quite majestic.