Foot helps audiences find hope at Baxter

11 July 2014 | Story by Newsroom
Keeping hope alive: Philip Dikotla, Shaun Oelf and Mncedisi Shabangu in <i>Fishers of Hope,</i> Lara Foot's new play that runs at the Baxter until 2 August after a sell-out run at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
Keeping hope alive: Philip Dikotla, Shaun Oelf and Mncedisi Shabangu in Fishers of Hope, Lara Foot's new play that runs at the Baxter until 2 August after a sell-out run at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

Hot on the heels of its success at the National Arts Festival, writer/director Lara Foot's latest play Fishers of Hope, subtitled Taweret,comes to the Baxter Flipside for a short season until 2 August.

Regarded as one of the highlights of this year's festival, the play has already garnered audience and media acclaim. Cue's Theresa Edlmann called it "... one of the 'must sees' of the festival '“ thanks in no small part to passion, sensitivity and soul the directors, cast and crew have brought to this refreshing new piece of theatre".

National Arts Festival Artistic Director Ismail Mahomed congratulated the team saying, "Fishers of Hope was an enormous success at our festival this year and it certainly got people talking. I am confident that the production will have equal success wherever it tours. Once again Lara Foot has affirmed herself as one of this country's leading theatre-makers".

Inspired by the documentary, Darwin's Nightmare, the play examines the prospects of hope and livelihood within the African continent. At its heart it remains a beautiful drama which combines the dramatic and the surreal and serves as a metaphor for the world and its capacity for hope.

Setting the play in Africa, Lara returns to her signature style through magical realism, physical theatre, textured imagery and a richly entwined soundscape and African score.

Subtitled Taweret, after the protective ancient mythological Egyptian goddess of childbirth and fertility, the play is layered with metaphors, delving into the social and environmental effects on a family and community in a fishing village. The name means "she who is great" or "great one" '“ a common pacificatory address to dangerous deities. The deity is typically depicted as a female hippopotamus, and this becomes a fundamental thread woven into the narrative.

The cast is led by Mncedisi Shabangu, who played the role of the storyteller in Foot's Tshepang, with an ensemble comprising Phillip Tipo Tindisa, Lesedi Job, Phillip Dikotla and Cape Town dancer/performer Shaun Oelf. Musician Nceba Gongxeka creates the live soundtrack.

Fishers of Hope runs until 2 August at 19h30, except there are no shows from 24 to 26 July. There is also one matinee on Saturday 19 July at 14h00. Booking is through Computicket on 0861 915 8000, online at www.computicket.com or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet.


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