Some of us are lucky that we used to have our old folk telling us stories
of far and beyond, tales orally handed over to them by their own elders,
stories of love, deceit, friendships and warfare; stories that told of the
moral fabric of African culture - of what was right and wrong.
Unfortunately, the majority of us fail to pass on to ensuing generations, some of the rich aspects of our culture that were freely and hereditarily handed over to us by our own elders.
Talented young actor and co-director in Amakhosi's latest play, "Keep
In Touch", Styx Mhlanga has managed to innovate an age-old folk story
as narrated to him by his grandmother, into a respiteful and entertaining
piece of contemporary theatre.
Inspired by the various art forms of poetry; music; dance;
ramp-modelling; and "impressionist" art, Styx diligently revives the
traditional art format of oral story telling by highlighting for the stage,
the perceived love and jealousy of a rich tycoon by utilising current
high-density/township lingo to develop dialogue, create scenes, find points
of conflict, and let the actors do the work - i.e.: bring out the characterisation
from the story into a presentable modern-day theatre format.
The story is said to revolve around two young lovers Ola, a beautful
young lady painter, and Mola, an eloquent young poet, who were born
on the same day, at the same time, of two women who lived in neighbouring
villages.
The rich tycoon, Etha,(Memory Kumbota) ruthlessly depicts an
"up-to-no-good, sugar-daddy-type" predator in his rivalry towards the
genuine and authentic love of the innocent young poet Mola,
(enthusiastically played by Styx) for his sweet "painter" lover, the
beautiful and gracious Ola, (convincingly and prudently played by Thembekile Ngwabi.)
The play uses a multi-faceted thrust of blending and incorporating the
various afore-mentioned art forms into an engrossing musical drama.
From the onset, the beautiful melody of Taurai Muswere's harmonica as
he enters the auditorium jerks the audience into appreciative happy faces,
(I could sense the auditorium brighten up from the simultaneous collective
smiles of the audience!)
Lovescent Mhlanga's bonding keyboard tunes plead for the soothing
rapport of Thomson Banda's enchanting pennywhistle, embellished by his
foot-stomping traditional leg-shakers and village jester's dance style.
As the story unfolded, I was reminded of the discreet township jazz
scenarios of the late 60's/early 70's (kumahobho, kumashabhini) where
we, the youths of then were constantly reprimanded for being at ear-shot
of the music as we listened to the radio-grams bellow out Spokes Mashiyane or Lenny Special's shrill penny whistle toots and titters from adjoining storm-water drains along the street. (Always wondered why we were never allowed near the place to watch the adults dance to the music till the wee hours of the morning!)
The story, in two acts, is told by the versatile mouth-organ player
(Taurai) who doubles up as narrator and who plays the role of the
unashamed bribery-prone village chief. Taurai plays the part with such an
uncouth authoritarianism, that when the proficient Mola describes his
poetry - what it is, why it is, and for whom it is destined in unforgettable
mellow -dramatic punches, one cannot help but feel 'on-sides' with him
in his battle for the beautiful Ola. The audience virtually salivates to the
simultaneous "ramp-modelling-transformed-into-rhythmic-gyrations" as
Loa dances in unison to Moll's eloquent poetry.
Several love scenes are ingeniously inter-twined with the chief's
supposed neutrality for the pleasure of the eyes and ears into a heart
rending theatrical piece.
Take the various ingredients from Lovescent's scintillating keyboard,
brilliantly and timeously played to blend in as the play's sound effects;
slowly swallow
Ola's beautiful singing with a pinch of the contents from her oil-paint
cans and brushes; add her "impressionistic" art forms, a-la subdueing
colour schemes; video-slide-project the impressions onto a white screen;
mix the similar various colours into the actors' predominantly traditional
costumes; enhance that with stimulating choreography; and you end up
with a most tantalising, most fulfilling recipe of a cosmopolitan musical
drama that Harare audiences have tasted in donkey's years.
I wouldn't want to have been on the receiving end of the usual "Oh it
was excellent, wish you had seen it" theatre gossipers as I watched the
audience entranced in their seats, gazing at the empty stage, unaware
that Amakhosi had dished up a delicacy of theatre for their consumption
for the evening .
The play had ended. I do not blame the audience, though. The directors
could have found a better way of avoiding the abrupt end to the story,
rather than invite the involuntary audience to join in final dancing with
the cast.
Thanks to Rooftop Promotions for bringing nouveau theatre yet again to
Theatre-In-The Park, and a thousand standing ovations to Amakhosi for a
well-refined mix of traditional folk-lore with a lovely concoction of
avant-garde art.

Pai Dimingu

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