By BRUCE DENNILL
Words And Nightmares / Directed by Themba Mkhoma / Theatre On The Square, Sandton, Johannesburg
When seeing playwright and actor Seiphemo Motswiri dancing on something lying flat on the floor, holding some sort of pole and accompanied by the music – mbira, djembe, vocals and assorted shakers – of Kenny Rakotsoane, it takes a while to figure out what is going on (the pair move and play before the lights go down, as the audience shuffles in). At some point, it’s suddenly clear: Motswiri is prancing about on a giant book, holding a giant pen, creating the visual metaphor at the centre of this piece – writing is storytelling, storytelling is life and vice versa.
The character he plays – with breathlessly committed, whirling Dervish energy – is a journalist who understands the profound importance of telling some of the world’s toughest stories, including those about genocides around the world. The play is split into a number of vignettes – a young brother and sister trying to survive an attack in Rwanda; a couple attempting to make it safely out of Ukraine after Russia attacks; folks on both sides endeavouring to make sense of October 7 and its aftermath in Israel, and more.
The writing is simple but effective, given genuine emotional heft by the unselfconscious fervor with which Motswiri inhabits a number of characters – men, women, young and old; all caught up in complex and perilous circumstances. It’s a testament to his storytelling skill that members of the audience flinch as he describes someone getting killed or moan at the heartache people feel when discovering that their escape plan may not pan out
Throughout, dynamics and atmosphere are provided by the always attentive Rakotsoane, who keeps his eye on Motswiri at all times, adding density and intensity to his playing depending on what the action demands. It’s dramatically effective, supporting the passion with which Motswiri declares – in character but also as writer – that honest reporting by journalists with unshakeable integrity is necessary and important, especially when it is at odds with populist or politically correct narratives.
The play is quick and punchy – an hour, in and out – and, with its compact set, easy to move around to festivals or schools. This is important as, tragically, its content will never be out of date.