A thought-provoking theatre production “Die Lig is Blou” addresses important social issues and sheds light on the experiences of young people facing trauma and discrimination.
“Die Lig is Blou” is set to premiere at the Artscape Theatre from June 20 to 25.
The play delves into the inner struggles of a gay boy who has endured mental abuse from his peers, highlighting the impact of such experiences on the youth in today’s society.
The production aims to explore the effects of trauma, including bullying, homophobia, domestic issues, and gender-based violence, which can affect the well-being and development of young people.
Writer and director Enrico Hartzenberg says: “’Die Lig is Blou’ is not merely a coming-out story but rather a narrative that confronts the homophobia and bullying faced by queer individuals in contemporary times.”
Hartzenberg believes that emotional trauma is a significant social pandemic that needs to be addressed by society.
“The overarching theme of this production is emotional trauma, which I think is the greatest social pandemic that the world must face,” Hartzenberg said.
“People tend to focus just more on the physical wounds, instead of emotional ones. And then we kind of wonder why we see society as a whole, collectively crumbling around us.”
The show follows the story of two friends, Samantha and Michael, who play a supernatural game that resurrects the ghost, Claudine, a family member who holds a secret about one of them.
The character of Claudine is portrayed by award-winning actress Crystal-Donna Roberts, who returns to the stage after a seven-year hiatus.
This production which has been in the making for five years, was inspired by Hartzenberg's passion for the supernatural world.
“Growing up, I used to believe in the supernatural and believe in just common childhood rituals and superstitions. It always makes growing up easy.
“So I decided to try the horror genre, something, I’ve been dying to venture into, but also use games that we used to play as children.
“In this play, we’re playing a game called ‘Charlie Charlie’. It’s a dangerous, superstitious game that a lot of people don’t talk about but it’s an idea that has been formed by society. So I’m making use of the horror genre to entertain the audience.”
Side note: According to reports Charlie Charlie, also known as the Charlie Charlie Challenge, is a popular supernatural game or paranormal ritual that gained significant attention on social media about 2015. The game involves attempting to communicate with a supernatural entity named Charlie using pencils.
“The story is not too head-on with the message, however, it comes through in certain scenes. I also do make use of the comedic effect, so the story doesn’t feel too heavy.”
Hartzenberg said he’s got plans to develop this production into a film, to showcase the local talent to the world.
“Die Lig is Blou” promises to be an engaging and impactful theatre production that tackles relevant societal issues, encourage empathy, and sheds light on the experiences and challenges faced by the youth in today’s world.
“Die Lig is Blou” premieres at the Artscape Theatre from June 20 – 25. Tickets are available at Computicket from R50 to R100.
ANOTHER NOT TO BE MISSED SHOW THIS YOUTH MONTH
“Little Red Riding hood and the Big Bad Wolf”
Where: The Drama Factory
When: June 17
This classic tale, originally by the brothers Grimm, has been reworked as an entertaining play by Gaerin Hauptfleisch – who also makes one or two appearances as Handy Andy, the handyman.
As in the fairytale, “Red Riding Hood” gets lost in the forest on her way to her grandmother’s house.
Here she meets Adolf the Wolf who immediately starts planning the meal he intends to make out of Red Riding Hood and her grandmother.
This leads to the famous scene where Wolf explains why his eyes, ears and mouth are so big.
Audiences will have to come and see for themselves whether little red riding hood survives the explanation.