Performer Jeremy Crutchley and director Geoffrey Hyland have collaborated on a new production, Sacred Elephant, an adaptation of the celebrated work by poet Heathcote Williams.
This moving one-man show conjures up the soul of the Earth’s largest land-living mammal, one of nature’s most intelligent and skilled creatures. Crutchley is known for his diverse and unique roles in theatre and film. As poet, playwright and actor, Williams has made a significant contribution to environmental awareness with his extended poems on environmental subjects, including Whale Nation, Falling for a Dolphin and Autogeddon.
Intimate Theatre, Hiddingh Campus, 57 Orange Street, Gardens. Until February 18. Bookings: 021 480 7129, or [email protected].
? Shirley Valentyn is the Afrikaans adaptation of Willy Russell’s 1988 hit play, Shirley Valentine, translated by Hennie van Greunen into Cape Afrikaans and transposed to Bellville.
Shirley Paulse, née Valentyn, is a lonely, middle-aged housewife and typically selfless mother. Her identity is subsumed by the drudgery of domestic routine and a stale marriage. Sex, she says, is like a sale at Woolworths: “lots of pushing and shoving and you still come out with very little in the end”. She asks “Whatever happened to Shirley Valentyn?” and her epiphany is that her life has been unused. When her friend Jane uses a divorce settlement to buy two tickets to Greece, Shirley has her opportunity to change her destiny.
Veteran actress Shaleen Surtie-Richards excels in the eponymous role in this return season. She uses her slightly cracked voice to great effect and has an emotional range that quickly moves a guffawing audience to silent empathy.
Golden Arrow Studio, Baxter Theatre, Main Road, Rosebank. Until February 18. Book at Computicket. Tel: 021 685 7880. Website: baxter.co.za.