The 2018 Best of Zabalaza Theatre Festival winner, Carlo Daniels’ arresting two-hander Onweer, will take to the stage at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio, for a short season, until Saturday May 19.
Written, directed and performed by Daniels, alongside Abigail Mei, the drama, performed in Afrikaans, was selected out of more than 40 productions at the recent eighth Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival, held in March, where he also clinched the Best Actor award.
Zabalaza curator Mdu Kweyama said that Onweer was chosen for its creativity and realness.
“While plays with themes of domestic violence are common in local theatre, the high quality of the performance and writing in this particular production, contributed to it being selected as the winner. We felt that it stood out as a play with content that is relevant and vital and needs to be seen by a broader audience.”
Onweer is a physical theatre work about a young woman Tammy (Mei), who lives on the Cape Flats.
She is overwhelmed by her abusive father’s (played by Daniels) return after his 10-year prison sentence.
His return causes much anxiety and leaves many unanswered questions for the family and the community. Did being incarcerated for a decade make him a better man?
“Onweer was a chance for me to create my own language,” says Daniels, who grew up in Mitchell’s Plain.
“It was a way for me to communicate my vision as a director. When I wrote this play I’d heard of many cases of rape around me. It motivated me to research the theme and the impact on the victim and the community. Abigail and I developed the piece, first for a competition as a 20-minute play, then as a fully-fledged production for Zabalaza.”
Onweer runs at 7.30pm with matinee performances on May 12 and 19, at 3pm, and on May 16, at 11am. Tickets are R80 with an age restriction of 14 years.
Booking is through Webtickets, online at www.webtickets.co.za, or at selected Pick * Pay stores.
For discounted school or group block bookings, fund-raisers or charities contact Sharon Ward on 021 680 3962 or email sharon.ward@uct.ac.za or Carmen Kearns on 021 680 3993 or email her at carmen.kearns@uct.ac.za
