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Bright Days for Girl in the Yellow Dress
Bright days for Girl in the Yellow Dress
Zintle Makeng
THE Girl in the Yellow Dress has gone halfway around the world and after playing to sold-out theatres both here and abroad, its come full circle to play at Newtowns Market Theatre for a back by popular demand rerun. Written by Craig Higginson and directed by Malcolm Purkey, for an unassuming title this local play is positively consuming, and has been critically well received. The play has won not one but two Naledi awards for best new South African play and best performance by an actress in a leading role. It is also this years winner of a Fleur du Cap for best director. Centred on two essential characters - a French-Congolese student, Pierre (played by South African actor Nat Ramabulana) and a fairly young English teacher, Celia (played by Cape Town-based actress Kate Liquorish), the play explores topics like race, deception, trust and self-deceit. With a crisp, modern set that is reflective of modern and contemporary Paris, simple costumes and clever lighting, the power of the play perhaps lies in the intricate and bold script that hopes to communicate the complexities that lie in each theme as the play progresses towards its climax. The first scene begins with Celia, a chic and effortlessly stylish young woman, carefully arranging a fresh bunch of flowers in her living room before preparing some tea for herself and a guest. Enter Pierre, whom Celia has seemingly been waiting for. Celia asks him to make himself comfortable and they settle in with some tea before they begin their first English class. With Celia interrogating Pierre with everything from questions about verbs, nouns, subjects, objects and present to past participles, it would be easy to get lost in it all - but the actors hold the intricate and complex script together like pros. As a canvas from which to start correcting his grammatical errors, Pierre is required to share a few intricate stories about his life. Fearing this may turn out delicate subject matter, Celia informs him that he need not tell the truth and that he may make up a story if that would suit him better. As the story progresses. we notice there are persistent telephone calls that Celia either chooses to ignore or take privately during Pierres lessons. The more Celia seemingly gets to know about Pierre, the more he wants to know about her. It doesnt take long before a half-dangerous, half-thrilling relationship ensues. As they begin to scrape off the layers that have led them into each others arms, they begin to realise the difference between black and white, truth and lies, the First World and Third World, sex and love. rich and poor, victim and perpetrator. What many have picked up is how these are issues all South Africans have been and continue to be confronted with today. What this play shows is that though these may be local issues, they are not strictly South African - they are, in fact, world issues - a great take on our sociopolitical standing. Apiece inspired by Ovids story, Echo and Narcissus and psychoanalytical writings on narcissism, The Girl in the Yellow Dress was received with a warm welcome from the time it premiered at the 2010 Grahamstown National Arts Festival. It enjoyed an even better, sold-out run at Cape Towns Baxter Theatre, as well as the Traverse Theatre, during the Edinburgh Festival. Accompanied by a wave of rave reviews, the play has new productions emerging in Salisbury. Chicago and New York. And Higginsons next play, Little Foot, has already been commissioned by the National Theatre in London to premiere during the 2012 Olympics. The Girl in the Yellow Dress is on at the Market Theatre until December 11. Tickets are available at Computicket and at the Market Theatre. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Date: 07 Nov 2011
