THE RETURN OF THE BOOLOOLU UNCLE
DIRECTORS: Kumseela and Koobeshen Naidoo
CAST: Senzo Mthethwa
VENUE: Return season at Sibaya Casino in November
RATING: 3 stars (out of 5)
Latoya Newman
DINGALINGS Productions staged a brief season of their brand new show, The Return of the Booloolu Uncle, last week, wrapping up on Sunday.
The show is the sequel to the award-winning one-hander, Booloolu Uncle based on the life of, and performed by, popular comedian/actor Senzo Mthethwa.
While in the prequel the foundation was laid for the audience to be introduced to Mthethwa – who was born into a Zulu family but raised in an Indian home; in the The Return of the Booloolu Uncle we journey further with him into an array of nostalgic memories and life events.
Like venturing into the world of dating, trips to the Temple for special prayers and his related popularity as the best Tabla player, going to his family home on the farm for a Zulu funeral and a few of his experiences during customary ceremonies (from both cultures) that will leave you in stitches.
In The Return of the Booloolu Uncle the writing has afforded Mthethwa the opportunity to experiment with more characters. As the narrative progresses, he flips in and out of character. From a tactless teacher to a drunken domestic helper to a meddling auntie trying to arrange a girlfriend, Mthethwa has the audience rolling with laughter.
But it’s not just his performance that gets to the audience, it’s also the nostalgia of it all. It doesn’t matter that he’s a Zulu-born, Indian-raised young man, his stories are not specific to him or the respective cultures; rather they resonate across the board. It’s easy to identify with these very South African characters and situations.
While providing a great hour and a bit of comical entertainment, The Return of the Booloolu Uncle is also a charming example and reminder of some of the things that make us unique as South Africans.
If you missed the show last week, be sure to catch it again when it stages at Sibaya Casino from November 8 to 10. The Return of the Booloolu Uncle will run then as part of a double bill, the other half being The Long and Short of It with popular stand-up comedians Koobeshen Naidoo and Henry Ramkissoon.