SeZaR, Playhouse Nottingham till 2 November then to Isle of Man

SeZaR: Yael Farber
Oxford Playhouse with Arc Productions
Runs: 2h 30m, one interval
Nottingham Playhouse till 2 Nov Perfs 7.45, matinee Thurs 1.45, Sat 2.30 then to Isle of Man

Review: Jen Mitchell, 30 October 2002

Dynamic adaptation of Julius Caesar, SeZaR shows us politics at its most powerful and yet most destructive. Fantastic.
Classic Shakespeare meets an emerging African country in this compelling piece of theatre that grips you throughout and never for a second lets you go. SeZaR - ritual, dance and music combined with the richness of both Shakespeare’s language and the wonderful rhythms of the South African dialect of Setswana. The tale is removed from Rome and set in Azania, a fictitious state in Africa.

Two metal towers dominate the simple set. The towers, reminiscent of electric pylons, are moved around the stage by the performers throughout the production and are a powerful image. On either side of the stage at the opening they stand as reminders of the Twin Towers – a scene of senseless loss of life. Throughout the performance we hear radio broadcasts in various European languages updating the world and Azania herself on affairs of the nation. A constant reminder of the power the media holds in the political world.

The direction is tight - every action, emotion and thought pertinent: even when the speech is in a language unfamiliar to us there is clarity of feeling – there is no doubt as to what is being said.

The acting is beautifully executed throughout. Hope Sprinter Sekgobela gives a superb performance as SeZaR. He shows to us a forceful leader who has the backing of the people and yet his vanity and conceit are elegantly apparent; a political figure who sits as comfortably in today’s world as in any period in history.

Menzi ‘Ngubs’ Ngubane demonstrates the agony of Brutus’s decision to kill a man for whom he would have died and no audience member could remain unmoved by Mark Anthony’s funeral speech about his beloved SeZaR

The play is hugely relevant and at times uncomfortable – SeZaR's refusal to take action over the Aids crisis in Azania, the image of masked men carrying tyres during the chaos following SeZaR's funeral, SeZaR's body hung from the tyres as if crucified, four straw bodies hung by the neck at the back of the stage during the final scenes.

The raw emotion of the piece is increased by the use of song, which is never contrived, arising naturally at moments of passion or poignancy, and dance, at once dramatic, mesmeric and potent.

Fantastic!
SeZaR: Hope Sprinter Sekgobela
Kalpurnia: Lindiwe Chibi
Brutus: Menzi ‘Ngubs’ Ngubane
Porshia: Nomakhosi Masala
Marc Antony: Tony Kgoroge
Kassius: Lebohang Elephant
Mashanela: Mary Twala
Sinna/Oktavius/Sangoma: Siyabonga Twala

Director: Yael Farber
Lighting design: Michael Maxwell
Original set design: Larry Le Roux
Sound effects: Christo Boshoff
Choreographer: Siyabonga Twala

2002-10-31 10:32:17