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Director Lara Bye has assembled a formidable cast of power-house women: Denise Newman (Erfsondes, Sorrows and Rejoicings), Mary Daniels (Suip!, Kanna Hy Kô Hystoe), Lee-Ann van Rooi (Fishy Fêshuns, Shirley, Goodness and Mercy), Euodia Samson (Vatmaar, Kanna Hy Kô Hystoe) and newcomer Roxanne Blaise (In Media Res, Khululeka).
Durban-born Ndlovu, well-known for her award-winning "A Coloured Place", last performed at the Baxter Theatre Centre in 2006 in Womantide with Tina Schouw and Ernestine Deane, showcasing their original poetry, songs and music. Her work as a poet has been extensively published in South Africa and abroad and this is her sixth play as solo writer.
An excited Ndlovu says, “It's been a while since I last wore my playwright hat and I am exhilarated to have the serendipity of a dream cast and director bringing life and their own interpretations to this new script. Having "Sister Breyani" in such gifted hands, and with the full support of the Baxter is exactly the way I'd want the stories and characters in the play to be honoured.”
Ndlovu's new play is about five sisters who reunite for the first time in almost three years over a weekend in October. The older four travel from their home city, Durban, to the big city, Johannesburg, where they meet at the new home of the youngest sibling. The celebration-cum-family reunion is simmering with excitement but, before long, family tensions bubble to the surface as the sisters realise that blood ties may not be enough to sustain the complex web of their relationships. Unfortunately, time is not on their side as the dream reunion soon begins to unravel.
Roxanne Blaise plays baby sister Jo-Anne, who escaped the family by moving to Johannesburg, seeking her own path and distancing herself from the family issues, while Lee-Ann van Rooi plays the organised, fun-loving sports teacher Bernadette (Berni), who takes them on the journey in her car. Denise Newman is the bossy Cassandra (Sandra), who seems to prefer animals to people and sports a Zulu toy-boy, much to the amusement of the others. With an infectious laugh at inappropriate moments masking her harsh life experiences, Moira, played by Euodia Samson, is the dark horse of the family now finally having her say. Mary Daniels takes on the role of Sheila, who seems to be the life and soul of the party, but carries many secrets which run deep and which go back many years.
"Sister Breyani" was first performed to an enthusiastic and encouraging audience in 2007 as part of the Baxter's popular Play>Ground Performed Play Reading series. Lara Bye, who has become known for tackling an exciting and dynamic range of theatre productions, has been closely involved with Play>Ground since its inception. She has performed in and directed several of the readings, including "For Coloured Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf" and "Jesus Hopped the “A” Train" and, more recently, "Yellowman", plays which were all subsequently selected for mainstream staging to great success. In recent years she has gained further acclaim with work like "Bafana Republic" and "La Serva Padrona", which was nominated for Best Director and for Best Classical Production at the 2008 KKNK. In January this year she directed "La Scala di Seta", an early Rossini one-act comic opera, for the Suidoosterfees.
Bye brings her signature edgy vision and passion to Ndlovu's latest work. “We are staging the play in an abstract landscape of memory and ancestry although the scenes themselves are utterly realistic. The characters resonate for me like Pirandello's six characters in search of an author. They are both real and in the present - but at the same time archetypal and timeless,” explains the maverick director.
She continues, “In the melting pot of this play we all find bits of ourselves - no matter how unpleasant or uncomfortable those bits might be. What a treat to have a rehearsal process filled with laughter, chats, storytelling, dancing, reminiscing and recipe-swapping - all inspired by the characters in the play. By blending a variety of elements such as poetic imagery, storytelling, mime and dance, and mixing these with a wonderfully original and atmospheric soundscape, I hope to create a work that is ultimately fresh and beautiful.”
To help achieve this vision she has brought together an award-winning creative team comprising Patrick Curtis (set and lighting design), Leila Anderson (costumes and props), Warrick Sony (sound design), John Keevy and Sanjin Muftic (videography) and Koos Marais (props design).
Remember those uncomfortable gatherings whether on Christmas, Eid, Rosh Hashana, Divali or any other important occasions usually intended to unite families? What about those weddings, anniversaries, birthdays or even funerals, for that matter? With both snappy and poetic dialogue, a rich range of characters and easily recognisable family dynamics at play, Sister Breyani will offer audiences a delicious helping of soul food that will have them coming back for seconds.
Book through Computicket on 083 915 8000, online at www.computicket.co.za or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet. For discounted block, corporate or school bookings, charities or fundraisers, contact Sharon on 021 680 3962, Tarryn on 021 680 3993 or Sakhiwo on 021 680 3991 during office hours.
