Nearly a decade since its premiere and 15 top South African awards later, Lara Foot’s Karoo Moose returns to the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio with the original cast, who reprise their respective roles.
Acclaimed playwright, director and producer, Foot was named the 2016 Featured Artist at the 43rd National Arts Festival this year, leading the charge on the Main programme, 80% of which was made up of work written, directed, curated or headlined by women.
The media at the National Arts Festival this year raved about the production.
- City Press said, “It’s the sort of thing everyone should see at least once in their lives but be prepared to be shaken, it will change you forever” while The Critter described it as “Magic that makes theatre real … it deserves its place in the canon of South African theatre.”
- Daily Maverick wrote, “… something extraordinary and having seen the show for the first time ever, this week, it is abundantly clear why it has the reputation that it has … thrilling and riveting. Truly out-of-of-this-world theatre.”
- Cape Argus also praised the production saying “… sensational production reunites the original, award-winning cast nine years on, and looks set to build significantly on its earlier international acclaim.”
- Daily Dispatch was also encouraging, “Foot’s ‘Karoo Moose’ makes its mark as a must-see iconic play” and “… if you ever do get the chance, go see it!”
- The Guardian called it “Fresh, immediate and often delightful”
- Evening Standard describing it as “… funny and (fun), generously energetic yet also disturbing and soulful”
- The Daily Telegraph saying, “… the basic narrative line is strong, and this deeply felt, constantly imaginative production richly rewards alert attention.”
The story of Karoo Moose is vividly brought to life by Zoleka Helesi, Mdu Kweyama, Bongile Mantsai, Thami Mbongo, Chuma Sopotela and Mfundo Tshazibane. The actors each perform a key character and double up to play multiple additional characters adding to the magic of the story and have won awards for their performances.
Among its impressive list of accolades, the production received the 2007 Aardvark Award for the Most Innovative Work, the 2008 Fleur du Cap Awards for Best Director and Best New Indigenous Production and the 2009 Naledi Awards for Best New South African Play, Best Production of a Straight Play and Best Director of a Play or Musical, as well as the 2010 Standard Bank Ovation Silver Award for theatre at the National Arts Festival.
Performed in English with isiXhosa, the story takes place in a remote and impoverished village in the Karoo, where the inhabitants are struggling to survive. A young girl called Thozama ends up killing a moose. But what is the moose doing there, and how did it get there?
The play was originally written as a film entitled No Fathers. Writer and director Lara tackles the disintegration of the family unit and the violation of innocence endured by so many South African children. The play cleverly and creatively combines African story-telling and magical realism.
Lara explains, “The themes of the story for me were bound up in the idea that the children in the village needed some kind of magical event to free them from abuse, neglect and poverty. Something magical was needed to break the cycle of violence.”
WHAT, WHERE & WHEN: Karoo Moose runs at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio, Main Road, Rondebosch Cape Town 7700 until 24 September at 7pm nightly. There is an age restriction of 13.
TICKETS: Computicket on 0861 915 8000, online or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet. For corporate, block or school bookings, charities and fundraisers, contact Sharon Ward on 021 680 3962 or sharon.ward@uct.ac.za or Carmen Kearns on 021 680 3993, or email carmen.kearns@uct.ac.za.
PHOTO CREDIT: Ruphin Coudyzer
