Theatre legends Andrew Buckland, Jennie Reznek and Faniswa Yisa steal the limelight at the Baxter as they bring to life the tragic tale of Greek king Oedipus.
In Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family.
Written by Qondiswa James and directed by Mark Fleishman, “Oedipus at Colonus: #aftersophocles” explores themes of time, ageing and dying.
The play was originally written by Sophocles at the end of his life when he was an old man facing his own death.
In conversation with IOL Entertainment, Buckland who plays the role of Oedipus, said he cannot wait for South Africans to experience the exceptional storytelling that comes with the staging of “Oedipus at Colonus: #aftersophocles”.
Elaborating on his role, Buckland said: “And so, Oedipus, having gone through his life and fulfilled these terrible prophecies, where he killed his father and married his mother and had children with her and then having discovered this, he took his eyes out and banished himself out into the wilderness.
“At this stage of his life, he's come to a time where he needs to find a place to end his life but to make sure that the legacy is finished. He’s looking to find a place where he can be buried, where he won't be celebrated in any way.
“The play explores ideas of forgiveness and atonement and also very specifically the ideas of land and about right to land and permissions of land as well as the ways in which actions from the past particularly violent actions, have consequences in the present.
“So in the South African context, it's fairly obvious that we are still at this stage, we are still experiencing the consequences of actions in the past.”
Buckland further explained that while the original text focused very much on the tragic hero and his metaphoric journey through life, the production is focused less on the individual’s sufferings.
“In this production, the focus is less on the heroes but rather much more on the chorus. In the original, the chorus plays the support role in drawing focus onto the individual.
“And in this production, the focus is much more on what is the quality of life. And what are the individuals, who inhabit, the chorus, what is the reality for them? So, there's quite an interesting sort of conceptual swing in the way in which the work is produced.”
The chorus is played by graduates of the Magnet Theatre Full Time Training and Job Creation Programme who make up the Magnet Theatre Youth Company.
“They tell their stories through the body, text and a sonic landscape that haunts. The primary role, I suppose of any theatrical work is, to hold the audience's attention and to engage them in a thoughtful and creative process.
“So, the work of the play and the directors is simply to construct work that stimulates the audience's imagination.
“And I don't think it's something that people have seen before. And certainly, working on it has been a very exciting and challenging project for me to do.”
On why he thinks the audience would enjoy the show, Buckland said: “I think it's because it's not like something and you know people have seen before.
“And what it does do is bring amazingly, a wide range of theatrical techniques and resources together into a work, which really does unearth and draw one's attention to what is happening in the country at the moment.
“There is a very strong sense of what is the current reality for people.
“In the original, Oedipus comes to a place and he says, ‘If I'm allowed to be buried here, there are great benefits for you. So this idea of people waiting for benefits resonates very strongly with people from ‘94 still waiting.
“So many people waiting on the list for housing, for ownership of the land, for rights that were promised, you know, ‘A better life for all’. And that's not always the case for many people.
“And so it's really to examine what are people's responses to that. What do we do with that as people living in the country today?”
“Oedipus at Colonus: #aftersophocles” will be staged at the Baxter Flipside from February 3 - 18. Tickets are available at Webtickets from R120.
JOBURG
Dreamland
Where: Theatre on the Square.
When: February 7 - 19.
“Dreamland” is written by and performed by popular musician, theatre and TV personality, DuPreez Strauss.
Strauss invites audiences to experience their favourite childhood memories in a whole new way.
Showcasing world-class piano interpretations and storytelling, Strauss will take audiences on an enchanting musical journey that will include familiar works like “Circle of Life”, “Let It Go”, “A Whole New World”, “Colours of The Wind” and many more.
For the last 14 years, Strauss has been co-music director and orchestra conductor for Disney’s “The Lion King” musical in eight countries.
DURBAN
‘The Chain’ - The Fleetwood Mac Story
Where: Rhumbelow Theatre.
When: February 3 - 5.
The Fleetwood Mac story is an episodic saga that spans more than 30 years, starting in 1967 as a British blues band that later became a California-based pop group in the mid ‘70s
In between came a period where Fleetwood Mac shuffled personnel and experimented with styles, all the while releasing solid albums with chart-topping hits.
Perhaps just as well known for their tangled relationships and addictions, as they were for their music, Fleetwood Mac had massive success and can be found on every list of the world’s top-selling bands.
Mixing relationships and business can either be a disaster or lead to success. To date, Fleetwood Mac has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.
CAPE TOWN
Vincent - His Quest To Love And Be Loved
Where: The Drama Factory.
When: February 17 - 19.
Vincent is a multimedia cabaret, (Bronze Standard Bank Ovation Award 2022) that tells of a complex man, Vincent Van Gogh, with a ruthless drive to create and a deep-seated desire to love and be loved.
Vincent’s search for love is told through re-imagined versions of popular musical theatre, pop, rock and jazz numbers. The 37-year-old painter died of a self-inflicted wound in 1890.
On May 15, 1990, The Portrait of Doctor Gachet was sold, within three minutes, for 75 million dollars.