Steyn Du Toit
THE limits and limitlessness of living with a disability are some of the themes running through two plays staged last week as part of the Chaeli Campaign's Ability Festival. Hosted by the Masque Theatre, they were produced as part of a mandate to contribute to the “conversation around disability/ability.”
Based on Deidre Gower’s book by the same name and aimed at audiences aged seven to 15, Warrior on Wheels is an adventure-filled story full of animated characters.
Directed by Jayne Batzofin and starring Iman Isaacs, Siphumeze Khundayi, Jessica McCarthy and Richard September, this theatrical allegory draws on puppetry and singing to bring its message to life.
Similar to Gower’s own quadriplegic son’s experiences, the plot’s 13-year-old protagonist finds himself having to learn how to navigate his way around the world in a wheelchair.
Drawing on elements of fantasy and mythology, the audience gets to follow him on an epic quest in search of a fabled tree on top of a high mountain. Faced with everything from fire fairies to a scary creature referred to as “the dark shadow of fear” along the way, the result is a deceptively simple story with several profound implications.
As a director Batzofin ( Kardiavale, Pruttel) not only understands the mechanics of children’s theatre, but also its importance in the development of young minds. Her is job made easier by the fact that the cast, all established industry performers in their own right, respond to her notes with praiseworthy commitment throughout.
Recent Fiësta award-winner September brings his usual depth and energy to the stage, as does Isaacs in the variety of characters she portrays. It is great seeing these two back together so soon after last month's intense Nat at The Rosebank Theatre.
Finding myself watching the piece along with a group of learners, their ongoing enthusiastic response to what was happening on stage made it clear that Batzofin and her team more than succeeded in getting the play's message across.
The second production staged as part of the festival was Jared Kruger’s Naledi-nominated story about sisterhood and cerebral palsy, In the Wings. Aimed at high-school learners, the piece is inspired by Erin and Chaeli Mycroft from the Chaeli Campaign, as well as their lifelong relationship with Chaeli’s friends, Tarryn, Justine and Chelsea Terry.
Similar to Warrior on Wheels, it also boasts a stellar creative team. Led by Rust Co-Operative’s Philip Rademeyer ( The View, Ashes) in the director’s chair, the cast is made up of Bo Peterson, Danieyella Rodin, Emma Kotze and Daniel Richards.
Kath (Rodin) is your typical 17-year-old. She likes to read magazines, lusts after the local hunk (Richards) and dreams to be asked out to the school’s next dance. Living with her sister Jo (Kotze) and single mother (Petersen), what sets Kath apart from other girls her age is that she also has cerebral palsy.
A play that deliberately avoids clichés, however, In the Wings does not so much deal with Kath’s disability as it deals with its effects on the rest of the members of her family. While there is an obvious close bond between the sisters, the way that society treats each of them will eventually create friction.
Rodin (also festival coordinator) does a remarkable job portraying a woman who'll always be reduced to friend status while her sister gets all the boys. So accurate is her portrayal that there were moments where I genuinely forgot that she does not really have cerebral palsy in real life. On the flipside, Kotze's character has had to learn very early on that, in their household, Kath’s needs come first. Only then will there be time for Jo. And, as the play’s title suggests, this leads to her feeling as if she’s destined to spend her life waiting in the wings.
A director with a gift for tapping into the emotional language of the pieces he puts out, Rademeyer gives all of his characters equal time to share their troubles, and the focus is placed on how they can all move forward instead of asking the viewer to choose sides.
A fast-moving production with several moments of character development, I once again had the pleasure of watching In the Wings along with students – this time a group of lively high school boys. While a play about teenage romance and sisterhood might not sound like their cup of tea, I was nonetheless surprised to see them totally engaged throughout. Having Richards’ rugby player character as part of the plot, I think, contributed a lot in helping them relate.
Two important productions staged as part of an even more important initiative. As a community we need to make sure that the Ability Festival becomes an annual institution.
l www.chaelicampaign.co.za