THE UGLY NOO NOO. Created and performed by Andrew Buckland. Baxter Flipside.
KAREN RUTTER reviews
Full confession. I’ve never seen The Ugly Noo Noo before. Even though I would’ve been around when it was first performed in the late 1980s, somehow I missed it. And I’m kind of glad, because having watched it now, some 35 years later, performed by the original creator Andrew Buckland, it came as a complete and joyous surprise. Despite its nearly 20 international and national awards, and its reputation as a game-changer in South African theatre, and Buckland’s immaculate pedigree as an actor, it was still a delightful revelation.
A Kafka-esque cautionary tale, a master class in mime, a sharp and incisive narrative disguised as pure silliness – The Ugly Noo Noo is 70 minutes of sublime entertainment, with a message that is as relevant now as it was in the 80s (ironically so, perhaps). When Buckland first envisaged this piece, apartheid was at its brutal peak in South Africa. Over three decades later, the global rise of fascism and populism makes it just as pertinent.
A pure joy to watch
But politics aside, as a piece of purely physical theatre, it’s still a treat. A regular barnyard of characters make an appearance, each one superbly captured by Buckland (oh, that chicken!). And the eponymous role is just the best – the ugly noo noo in question being a Parktown Prawn. Or, more accurately, quite a few of them. And the fear that this ubiquitous insect inspires in humans, while forming the basis of the script, and a commentary on the power that fear wields, is both recognisable and hilarious.
Buckland is a marvel – his face, his body, the sounds he makes, the scenes he sets, are in perfect harmony with the script. It all flows, and it’s pure joy to watch.
I’m so very happy I finally got to see The Ugly Noo Noo, performed by the original creator. Don’t be like me and wait to catch up. Go now.
What: The Ugly Noo Noo
Where and when: Baxter Flipside from from 23 July to 10 August 2024
Tickets: Webtickets
WS
