THE MUSIC SHOP
Director: Hilda Cronje
Cast: Nicholas Ellenbogen, Liz Szymczak, Cameron Robertson, Nathan Lynn, Sive Gubangxa, Robert Jeffries
Venue: Rosebank Theatre|UNTIL: March 28
Rating: ***
In the aftermath of war in a nameless country, a widow is struggling to combat rats and filth in her little shop. Survivors of the catastrophe arrive serially on the scene, mostly strangers in need of physical or spiritual comfort, and an unexpected panacea is found: music.
This universal generator of joy facilitates the characters’ interaction and, just for a few hours, creates a small society in which all can find a measure of companionable happiness. Until retribution for past suffering enters the equation.
Nicholas Ellenbogen’s new musical drama is based on this simple but thought-provoking scenario, and the energy brought to its performance by the actors (including Ellenbogen himself) ensures an evening of engrossing and pleasurable entertainment.
The lack of precision in time and place adds to the sense of universality, and Hilda Cronje’s costumes are likewise neutral in their evocation.
The protagonists’ accents are diverse, from Gaelic to Estonian… this could be present-day Ukraine or the Serbia of 20 years ago. War is war, and human misery knows no country or epoch.
To this end the music is suitably eclectic, a mix of protest songs from the mid-20th century (Bob Dylan and Joan Baez), rollicking ballads by the likes of Burl Ives, and compositions by those deathless favourites, The Beatles, of which the most fitting is Let It Be.
A major factor in the show’s success is the calibre of acting, singing and musicianship from the cast, whose ensemble is well directed by Cronje. Liz Szymczak is a strong anchor for the action evolving around her: her maternal femininity sparked by a hint of sexiness makes her an appealing lead.
Impressive as a secondary anchor is newcomer Nathan Lynn, whose grasp of character as the dispossessed Peter, coupled with his musicianship, are well up to the mark. His guitar-playing provides reliable and understated accompaniment to the drama that unfolds in the widow Rose’s shop.
Show-stealer par excellence is Sive Gubangxa who plays the sex worker Adelphi. She manages to combine disquieting seductiveness with vulnerability, the two by-products of her war-experience, and the clarity of her diction is a delight.
Her performance complements those of Ellenbogen, his usual confident and jocund self as the farmer Ben, and Cameron Robertson (the soldier Emile), whose eloquent saxophone raises the show’s emotional intensity.
In the intimacy of the Rosebank Theatre, this cleverly-devised musical drama works its charm on the audience to create rewarding theatre.