A collaboration between Zimbabwe and South Africa presents a thought provoking workshopped piece directed by Roel Twijnstra and Daniel Maphosa inspired by an idea instigated by Jerry Pooe.Swallowed is a made up of five actors(Bongumusa, Shabalala,Musawenkosi Shabalala,Nhlakanipho Maphulo,Ted Mangawa and Tafadso Hananda.)
Swallowed is a play about greed, power and land ownership. It is looks like its influence by Antonin Artaud's theatre of cruelty yet with lot of humour and light comedy watching this piece makes you shatter in your own primal honesty. It starts off with five actors standing skilfully focused in a focal point to the audience. They are working as miners and the rocks suggest that.
The story unfolds a relationship of two friends which one of them is engulfed by greed and power when he pockets the diamond they found for himself . He becomes swallowed, and forgets his friends. He becomes successful and rich while his friends still struggle. At the end they capture Goso played beautifully by (Musawenkosi Shabalala,) they cut him open because they think he has swallowed the diamond, they take out his insides in a grotesque scene using real cow intestines, kidneys and liver yet still they don't find the diamond.It was (Ted Mawanga) that delivered an engaging performance with slightness of humour.
This piece is still work in progress which its impressive work shows potential and there is room for growth. The actors had only a week to put this together having said that actors could pay more attention to taking time and not rush.Swallowed is suitable for a mature audience. I must say Iam excited for this play.
Review by Philisiwe Twijnstra
from left to right:Tafadso Hananda,Bongumusa Shabalala,Ted Mangawa and Nhlakanipho Maphumulo
Photo by Roel Twijnstra
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