Holding out for a hero

Written by Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Luke Brown, Undermined is the true tale of a Mozambican man who journeys to South Africa and works in a mine to provide for his family back home. He also has a special gift, which turns out to be both a blessing and a curse.

The production is directed by Tara Notcutt and uses the same comic book style as her work in Mafeking Road. That means it's up to the performers (the writers joined by Stefan Erasmus) to use nothing but their gestures and sounds to set the scene.

The trio paints vivid pictures of life above and below ground. And while some aspects (notably the songs) might benefit from dialling down the intensity and length, Undermined is an energetic and entertaining production that just goes to show how a little creativity can go a long way.

Undermined is at Cape Town's Kalk Bay Theatre until 4 May. Book at www.kalkbaytheatre.co.za.