Luvuyo Kakaza
In his two current one-act plays, Bheki Mkwana avoids dealing with politics, instead he delves into the personal and, ironically, ends up revealing a clear insight into a society torn-apart by political violence.
Protest Theatre, Mkhwana says “underestimates our creativity. Every piece of work produced during the heyday of apartheid dealt with experiences of ordinary people rather than politics.”
Sitting Around the Fire takes its audience through the faction fights in KwaZulu-Natal by looking at the tales of four homeless men. On a city pavement, around a permanently lit fire, three younger men join an old man whom they view as a role model.
The four brilliant actors – S’duduzo Khawula, Bhekani Shabalala, Bheki Khabela and Bheki Mkhwane – sing and dance as they share their views and relate the experiences that drew them together in an effort to survive. The play touches on many real experiences of the types of characters who may have trodden these rickety paths.
The acting is, in some parts, quite hilarious. Talk about murder, police corruption or life in prison, seems to rise above the gruesome to embrace moments of rejuvenation. In this, laughter becomes inevitable.
One of the outstanding scenes involves the character of the ex-convict Tsibah- Tsibah, played by Bheki Khabela. In his 10 years behind bars, imprisoned for his political actions, the character becomes a preacher. The theatre is transformed into a church: candles are lit and distributed to the audience. The theatre comes alive with singing and clapping, as Tsibah- Tsibah leads the service.
This one-hour-long drama is paired with Mkhwane’s Solomon’s Pride which follows after a short interval. Co-written by Mkhwane and Greig Coetzee, Mkhwane plays the solo role of a man from rural KwaZulu- Natal.
It is a story of migrancy and love – about a young man who waits patiently for his dream to come true. Like his father, he travels to the city to work on the mines. And like his father, he saves for more than a decade to pay the lobola that will help him marry the woman of his dreams.
At the end of Solomon’s Pride, though, it is unclear whether he finally reaches his goal. The title, however, seems to hint at the message – that in waiting with patience, there could be great rewards.
Sitting Around the Fire and Solomon’s Pride are on at the Pieter Roos Theatre at the Civic Theatre Complex until October 17