When poetry is intertwined with prose to tell a story of creation and being, there is a rebirth. Tswalo, loosely translated - birth - is a story about the beginning. Creation. Birth. Life as we know it begins here, and after that we find ourselves looking for pieces of Self - some of which we may have lost or discarded along the way - that'll make sense of who we are, and are becoming. The main character portrayed by Billy Edward, does exactly that, as he takes us through that journey of creation - maybe from the beginning of time - his and ours.
The directorship of Mahlatsi Mokgonyana is telling. You can see how intentional he was in wanting the audience to connect with this masterpiece. Every action was carefully curated to match the right words that'll drive the play's message home.
The piece swallows the present, taking you into a new space that forces engagement with an existence that you might have not taken notice of before, an existence that you might have ignored because of your reality. Who were we before this? What were we? What becomes of us after living? Birth. Life. Death. On spaces, the stage is rather bare with only a piece of blanket downstage centre, dimly lit with a blue light. As the character sways and moves about the stage, we end up at a place that connects us with the Universe - the earth, the atmosphere, the galaxy. We come back to being because, who are we without names? We might have titles, but do we know our names? O mang? The character further takes us through his family lineage - the story of his people. Naming. The meeting of two souls before his conception. Life in the womb before this one that is earth. Give that child a name. Go hloka leina, seroba! The use of speech and the play with different languages takes a people home - we are never lost.
Of course, humour was pART of the mix, keeping the audience alive and awake. Such genius! Personally, I'd go for seconds (this was my first with Tswalo), and thirds, and and and. Keep your ears on the ground for more beautYful and groundbreaking work from this Theatre Duo, as they're fondly known.
[P.S. Leah (yes, that's me!) would like to extend her appreciation and love to the character, for the dance. I loved that random act. #BlushesAway]
The piece swallows the present, taking you into a new space that forces engagement with an existence that you might have not taken notice of before, an existence that you might have ignored because of your reality. Who were we before this? What were we? What becomes of us after living? Birth. Life. Death. On spaces, the stage is rather bare with only a piece of blanket downstage centre, dimly lit with a blue light. As the character sways and moves about the stage, we end up at a place that connects us with the Universe - the earth, the atmosphere, the galaxy. We come back to being because, who are we without names? We might have titles, but do we know our names? O mang? The character further takes us through his family lineage - the story of his people. Naming. The meeting of two souls before his conception. Life in the womb before this one that is earth. Give that child a name. Go hloka leina, seroba! The use of speech and the play with different languages takes a people home - we are never lost.
Of course, humour was pART of the mix, keeping the audience alive and awake. Such genius! Personally, I'd go for seconds (this was my first with Tswalo), and thirds, and and and. Keep your ears on the ground for more beautYful and groundbreaking work from this Theatre Duo, as they're fondly known.
[P.S. Leah (yes, that's me!) would like to extend her appreciation and love to the character, for the dance. I loved that random act. #BlushesAway]
Edited: First published on 7 June, 2018
I'd love to go with you, and actually do the dance too. I have my ear on the ground. Your review makes me hate to have missed Tswalo. You write beautYfully.
ReplyDeleteI would love that too. Thank you for your constant support.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's a coincidence or what that you reviewed Tswalo on the 29th of June.I must say your review is on another level. You make us hate the fact that we missed it.
ReplyDeleteKeep doing this because you are excelling.
It's comments like yours that keep me going, Kgau. Thank you for the feedback - one reader at a time. [Don't forget to share!]
ReplyDelete