Where: Playhouse Drama
Who: Pranesh Maharaj, Santhiran Moonsamy, Shika Budhoo and others
When: Runs until Sunday
Issues dealing with Durban's unique ethnic and cultural diversity are rarely tackled on one and the same platform as there is still a tendency to create productions that appeal to specific groups.
This is partly because of the legacy of our past and partly because of the natural clanning of people who share culture, language and history.
To House is an ambitious new play that takes Durbanites right into the heart of one of the most pressing issues that we face as a community - how to live together.
Writer Ashwin Singh has drawn a number of feasible characters from a specific section of our community, but he slices down and not across so we are able to see all the layers.
There is the on-the-way-up African academic pitched against the on-the-way-down Indian academic; the progressive, intelligent and caring young Indian woman pitched against her retrogressive interfering family and a middle-aged divorced white man drowning in the brave new world that has no lifeline for him. Pottering in and out of this morass is the respectful gardener who plays a small but meaningful role in creating a sense of perspective.
Conflict is the stuff of good drama and there's lots of it. Singh adds his understanding of what makes people tick to bring subtlety and breadth to his characters, avoiding, for the most part, the stereotyping that turns real people into caricatures.
Caroline Smart's demand for sincerity and authenticity, which is achieved by some members of the cast to a greater degree than others, keeps the play meaningful and relevant.
Totally convincing and very natural is Shika Budhoo who plays Kajol, main man Sibusiso's caring live-in lover. Everything she does is plausible and believable, a rare find! Experienced actor Thomie Holtzhausen is also in admirable command of his character, but the role sometimes requires him to move into the arena of melodrama, making it more difficult for him to sustain credibility.
Pranesh Maharaj as Sanjay is impressive. He's required to be very flexible and to reveal different aspects of his character to different members of the cast and he succeeds in this by being absorbent and versatile, a good chameleon.
Arifani Moya, who plays Sibusiso, looks great on stage and has a good voice; he is especially strong at moments of climax where his timing is fine. But he seldom loses himself; there is a level of self-consciousness which is a barrier to brilliance.
This lack of commitment naturally affects areas of his interaction with others which has ripple effects for the play as a whole.
Santhiran Moonsamy as interfering old man Uncle Deena brings movement and comedic relief whilst deepening the problems faced by young Kajol. He is very watchable and entertaining - but look out for the cutting, calculating edge that rescues him from becoming the buffoon.
Moonsamy is a bit young-looking to create the necessary generation contrast with absolute success - perhaps he could shave that wonderful mop of black hair?
S'bu Ngejane played the sweet-hearted gardener the night I saw the production. He plays him with quiet dignity and is touchingly authentic in the role of the subservient but philosophical Nimrod.
Set design and lighting are fantastic, they do exactly what they are meant to do - give the actors full technical support. Smart's eye for detail is unerring and nothing escapes her.
To House is an important piece of theatre; in it people voice opinions that are uncomfortable and edgy. The cathartic and therapeutic value of hearing these things said aloud in a public place is part of our essential healing process and proves, once again, that art has the guts to go where angels fear to tread. Go and see it!