Clinton Marius’s one-man tragi-comedy, White Christmas, stages from this week. Latoya Newman spoke to lead actor Jonathan Cohen
Durban’s Jonathan Cohen will be making his debut in a lead role this week when Clinton Marius’s challenging White Christmas runs at Seabrooke’s Theatre in Musgrave from Thursday to Sunday.
Exploring South Africa’s “currently disadvantaged”, White Christmas journeys with the Van Niekerk family who go “upmarket” and spend the festive season at the Margate Caravan Park… with this year’s celebrations set to be very different.
In a statement, Marius (whose most recent plays, B!*ch Stole My Doek and Sweetie Darling have garnered rave reviews) said of this play: “White Christmas is, ironically, a black comedy about a South African family’s 350-year history in this country, and where they stand today. The play is the most personal I have written to date, in that it turns a satirical spotlight on my own family. Certain elements have been tweaked for dramatic effect, but the bittersweet account is by and large a factual one.”
Tonight touched base with Cohen – who would be remembered for his professional debut on the Durban theatre circuit with KickstArt’s Shrek! The Musical last year.
We asked what first crossed his mind when he read this script: “The first thing that went through my head was, how on earth am I going to learn all these words?” he joked, adding: “As I started reading it more and getting into the story, I found my excitement building and the love for the characters growing stronger.
“I felt quite connected to the text as well, because I feel that the characters represent people who are often overlooked, and their stories are important and need to be heard. It’s visceral and real, and I often feel quite vulnerable when we’re rehearsing, but it’s a beautiful story and a tragic one, and I’m really excited that I’m involved.”
Asked if he felt that there is a “currently disadvantaged” white sector of the South African community who’ve been forgotten by our people, Cohen said: “I don’t think anyone has been forgotten, and I don’t think it’s going to happen. The beautiful thing about this country is that everyone who lives in it becomes a part of something bigger than themselves.
“We’re all trying to progress to a place where everybody has their say and a place to say it, and this piece is an attempt to show people that their struggles are universal, and everybody is fighting against something and for something. I think one of my favourite things about this piece is that, while it deals with the struggles of a white South African family, the themes are universal and the comedy and tragedy of the piece can be related to by anyone.”
Of his character, Cohen said he’s found it quite a roller-coaster ride: “JP is a lot of fun to play, and I’ve found him to be a total roller-coaster to play! He’s a wacky and funny storyteller with his own demons, and coming to discover and uncover those demons with him has proved to be quite taxing.
“I often get home from rehearsals and feel quite exhausted because of the quick changes from beautiful and funny high points to the deeply sad low points. Clinton has been great at helping me find those emotions, but I’m very lucky in that he makes the process light-hearted and fun, so there’s never a sense of dread when those emotions start to show themselves.”
He adds that working with Marius has been an experience: “It’s been a lot of fun working with Clinton; he’s a great director and he knows how to get good performances out of people. He’s been doing one-handers like this for a long time, and he comes up with great ideas that I wouldn’t have thought of.
“It’s a very relaxed situation and so I’m comfortable to get into some pretty hectic emotions, and there’s no judgement or anything negative from Clinton’s side, which makes the process a lot easier.”
Performances of White Christmas are at 7.30pm (Thursday to Saturday), and at 2.30pm on Sunday. Tickets are R90 through Computicket at 0861 915 8000 or book online at www.computicket.com.