Once On This Island, a Tony award-winning musical by Wela Kapela Productions will be staged at The Baxter Flipside from 8 to 16 July, 2022.
Based on a Caribbean interpretation of Hans Christian Anderson’s, The Little Mermaid, the show comes will be featured for a short season at 7pm, with matinees at 2pm.
Eastern Cape cast
After a successful run at the Guild Theatre in East London, Wela Kapela brings a vibrant all-Eastern Cape cast to Cape Town, transporting audiences to a magical island “where rivers run deep”, and where everyone is “at the mercy of the wind and the sea, praying constantly to the gods”.
Producer and director Amanda Bothma directs the cast and live band of 14 performers, with musical direction by Nathan Johannisen, choral direction by Akhona Zizipho Nkinti, and choreography by Sonwa Sakuba
Once On This island, follows the journey of Ti Moune, a young peasant girl who fearlessly pursues love across racial and class barriers and who finds love in a divided world, while contesting the power of death. It is a story of love, life, pain, hope, grief and faith as it holds a mirror to society and allows a safe space to re-evaluate one’s own thinking.
On a stormy night a terrible thunder booms, making a young cry in fear. To comfort her, the villagers tell her the story of Ti Moune (performed by Bathandwa Diniso), the peasant girl who falls in love with the atistocrat, Daniel Beauxhomme (Daniel Anderson). In this story, the four gods Asaka: Mother of the Earth (Dikelo Mamiala), Agwe: God of Water (Mava Gqeba), Erzulie: Goddess of Love (Kerry Hiles), and Papa Ge: Demon of Death (Alison Hillstead) rule an island of two different worlds.
Pushing boundaries
“Working on this production was invigorating, each actor had to mine his or her own creativity, working together as an ensemble, yet creating strong individual characters,” explains Bothma. “There is simply nowhere to hide: all the characters are on stage all of the time, singing, dancing, telling a story within a story – really pushing the boundaries of theatre work. We have really brought the best talent – on and off stage. Be ready to be amazed by one incredible set – literally bringing a whole island to life!”
Cast member Daniel Anderson said, “Never before have I worked on such a complex and beautiful musical. This has ticked all of the boxes for sophisticated and transformational storytelling. The cast is marvelous, the music is exceptional, and the staging is the genius we always get from this team.”
The show uses bright shweshwe fabrics and shadow puppetry.
What: Once On This Island
When: Baxter Flipside Cape Town
Where: 8 -16 July 2022, 7pm, Saturday matinees on 9 and 16 July, 2pm.
Tickets: R180, R140 block bookings, seniors, students
Book: www.webtickets.co.za
WS
