By BRUCE DENNILL
Mars Mission: The Musical / Directed by Nathan Waywell and Nat Ramabulana / Parktown High School For Boys, Parktown, Johannesburg
The results of a huge vision and a long development process from former Amersham, Cassette and Watershed member Nathan Waywell makes it to the stage in this co-production between Parktown Boys and Parktown Girls high schools. The idea behind the piece was ambitious to say the least: using theatre to explore and learn about STEM subjects through African history and culture – and Afrofuturism – while celebrating past South African heroes and the potential of the future, all while keeping the story relevant through references to touchpoints almost everyone is aware of or can relate to in some way (such as the Covid pandemic and space exploration). In addition, Waywell’s hope was to allow the learners involved in the project the opportunity to take the outline he’d created and from there to take the story in whichever ways they felt most excited about.
Such a multifaceted concept requires brave investment, be that in time, energy, creativity or money, and it is testament to Waywell’s drive and the strong support of Parktown Boys that this platform for the inspiration and ingenuity of what is a substantial cast of youngsters has come to fruition – for this year’s production and as a framework for future students who, in line with the long-term plan for the piece, will update it with their own ideas and tweaked storylines.
Central to the storytelling is a giant LED screen at the back of the stage, which carries images and videos that support what characters are saying in various scenes – everything from centrefolds from an issue of Drum Magazine that is a constant throughout the story to close-ups of viruses or landscapes of Mars. Linking the dialogue to supporting images is great when the timing of each is on point. Occasionally, though, the screen goes dark at a moment when an actor is trying to refer to a visual that isn’t there – unfortunate glitching that, to their great credit, the actors take in their stride, pressing on with their well-learned lines to keep things moving and minimise awkwardness.
The criss-crossing of the story’s various threads – the past, the future, and time-travelling between both – added to the enthusiastic but unrefined acting (completely fine in context) and the audience not knowing what should or shouldn’t be happening on the screen (once they’re aware something hasn’t gone quite according to plan early on) all adds up to a mildly chaotic unfolding of a script bursting to the margins with thoughts, philosophies and metaphors. Does this make for great theatre? No, but the value of the students engaging with and learning from the material they’re working with – from the way vaccines work to the story of Tsoku Khumalo, who had to leave apartheid South Africa to realise his dream of becoming a pilot, later becoming the first Black pilot in the South African Air Force – can’t be underestimated.
The musical aspect of the show and performances is generally low-key relative to the narrative parts, with many of the songs taking the forms of refrains accompanied by simple choreography, allowing cast members of all talent levels to participate.
The joy and laughter onstage during the extended curtain call underlines what a positive experience this show is for the learners involved, who will have, above and beyond the themes of the story, have learned about what is involved in making theatre and how to appreciate it. It’s a very different model to what most other schools are considering, and it will be interesting to see how it develops in the years to come.