UNRULY. Directed by Neil Coppen. Co-written by Neil Coppen, Andrew Buckland and Dr. Dylan McGarry. With Andrew Buckland and Chantal Willie-Petersen (bass). Photographs: Retha Ferguson. Baxter.
KAREN RUTTER reviews
This collaborative project, pulling together academic, theatrical and musical elements to address a pressing and contentious concern, is an exercise in clever creativity. Unruly deals with the controversial issue of baboons and baboon management, something which is very close to the hearts of those who live in the Cape – particularly around coastal settlements.
It also situates the topic within a broader context, bringing forced removals, macho privilege and even climate change into the conversation. All this, with the agile presence of Andrew Buckland counterpointed by the sonorous tones of Chantal Willie-Petersen’s double bass.
The production has previously nominated for three Fleur De Cap Theatre Awards including Best Theatre Production, Best Solo Performance (Andrew Buckland) and Best Sound/Music (Chantal Willie-Petersen), and it’s easy to see why.
Bold and imaginative
Unruly is a bold and imaginative foray into the tangled web of human-animal coexistence, brought vividly to life through immersive storytelling and meticulous research. Set in the fictional seaside town of Skemer Baai, the performance unpacks the simmering tensions between humans and a local baboon troop after the unexplained disappearance of their matriarch – a disappearance that ripples through both species’ fragile peace.
Drawing from a rich blend of academic insight and creative inquiry, Unruly invites audiences to step into the liminal spaces between urban life and the wild, asking probing questions about territory, kinship, and survival. The Cape Peninsula’s unique ecology pulses at the heart of this piece, grounding its narrative in the real-world entanglements of nature and civilisation.
What emerges is not a neat resolution, but an invitation – to reckon with the unpredictable rhythms of the natural world, and to consider, perhaps uncomfortably, the part we all play within it.
What: Unruly review
Where and when: Baxter Theatre from 17 July to 2 August 2025
Tickets: Webtickets
WS
