By BRUCE DENNILL
The Suit / Directed by J Bobs Tshabalala / Theatre On The Square, Sandton, Johannesburg
Can Themba’s original short story is six decades old and the original version of this play was created by Barney Simon and Mothobi Mutloatse around 30 years ago. And this is a return run of a new production that ran in this venue late last year. So an argument that states anything along the lines of strong narratives not being at the heart of longevity is clearly foolhardy.
In many ways, it’s sad that Themba’s The Suit is as relatable now as it was when he wrote it. His gorgeous use of language to evoke the richness of life in Sophiatown – a place and a community now gone – retains its effectiveness, but the story’s twin themes, of the pain of adultery and the brutality of unforgiveness, are much less enjoyable to contemplate.
The spare staging – a bed, a chest, an open doorway and a table with a couple of chairs – reflects the simplicity of the script, with the combination allowing the cast of four plenty of space to add the colour and nuance that makes the play so powerful. Sello Maake Kancube and Job Kubatsi were part of the piece’s original cast, adding extra heft to the emotional weight of the play. As scorned husband Philemon, Kancube is both light (doting lover; optimistic citizen of a broken country – apartheid South Africa in the 1950s) and darkness (cynically vengeful cuckhold), making the character relatable in both guises, even as audiences swivel on how much they want to engage with him. Kubatsi is charismatically reliable as comic relief as he deftly incorporates his multiple characters’ quirks into the physical layering of his performance.
As Matilda, Philemon’s adulterous wife, Thireletso Nkoane is superb, embodying both the wilfulness and the fear of a woman on a flawed journey towards towards some hoped-for agency. And Lebohang Motaung, as Matilda’s lover and a number of other small roles, brings vitality and presence to each part he plays.
The play (still) raises a number of questions for those watching it. How far is it appropriate to go when responding from a place of pain? And for how long? Is love still love if knowingly hurting a partner is a consistent part of an ongoing relationship? And what are the options for someone who feels trapped? It’s painful, sometimes brutal stuff, but it is wrapped in the context of the presence and importance of community and the parts of life – laughter, creativity, small successes – that sometimes make lurking grief and anguish feel further away.
J Bobs Tshabala is known for some fairly unexpected creativity in some of his work, but his direction here, like every other aspect of the play, is clean and unambiguous, aiding in an uncluttered production effectively hitting all its marks and in doing so deeply connecting with its audience.