Tin Bucket Drum beats loud and clear

Following its successful tour to New York last year, local theatre-goers can see Tin Bucket Drum at Cape Town's Kalk Bay Theatre. This beautiful production (which combines elements of magical realism, shadow puppetry, Kabuki theatre, and live percussion) tells the story of a spirited child who will not be silenced by an oppressive world.

By Eugene Yiga

19 Aug 2013

Photo by Jesse Kramer

"When I was eight years old my father built me a wooden puppet box," said writer and designer Neil Coppen. "It folded down to fit in a car boot, so I could tour around children's birthday parties and share my stories for pocket money. Although I am now much older, I still feel like in many ways, I have the opportunity to travel with my puppet box to share my stories in places as far apart as New York and Cape Town."

So many elements of this production work well together. Mpume Mthombeni gives a dynamic and versatile performance as the girl and other townspeople, while percussionist Wake Mahlobo keeps the rhythm alive. All this is set to Coppen's rich script, which flows off the tongue like spoken poetry, bursting with vivid images and layered with powerful metaphor. All in all, Tin Bucket Drum is a sound that will not be silenced.

Tin Bucket Drum is at Cape Town's Kalk Bay Theatre until 8 September. Tickets are available from www.kbt.co.za.

Eugene Yiga

About Eugene Yiga

Eugene graduated from the University of Cape Town with distinctions in financial accounting and classical piano. He then spent over two-and-half years working in branding and communications at two of South Africa's top market research companies. Eugene also spent over three-and-a-half years at an eLearning start-up, all while building his business as an award-winning writer. Visit www.eugeneyiga.com, follow @eugeneyiga on Twitter, or email moc.agiyenegue@olleh to say, um, hello.