There were seven pieces in the 969 Festival. The 969 Festival gives legs to some of the works seen at the National Arts Festival. The productions are invited to Wits where the Joburg public can see them.
I had previously attended a production of Circle (http://www.artlink.co.za/news_article.htm?contentID=26720), so I had a choice between six of the works so I settled on a programme which would allow me to see three in one evening.
The central piece of the evening was a work in the nunnery entitled The Epicene Butcher and other stories for consenting adults. I last saw Jemma Kahn in The Animals by Sylvaine Strike back in 2007. She made a positive impression on me at that time. Since then she has been working in Japan studying Kamishibai, which is simply picture box theatre.
Apparently Kamishibai originated as children’s theatre in the 1930s in Japan. The concept is familiar to me from my own childhood where it was used in story telling at Sunday school. I bumped into this again at the National Arts Festival where the picture boxes were transported on bicycles and taken out to the people. I found that charming.
The Epicene Butcher is not children’s theatre, as can be seen from the qualifier in the title … and other stories for consenting adults.
The work begins with Chalk Girl and our story teller front of house before start time. Chalk Girl is chewing gum with her mouth open.
When we get sight of the set in all its glory it is a wooden box atop a wooden clothes horse.
Jemma Kahn tells the stories, well, most of them. We start with a brief history of anime, of which this is a precursor. The first story is drawn and told in that idiom. A Japanese super-girl.
Others follow – one of a tsunami is wordless, but tugs on the heartstrings very insistently.
The dream life of cats had me wishing I’d brought my cat to the theatre. He would have identified.
Then there is a story for perverts. It is an hilarious pornographic tale with all the effects by Jemma Kahn. I loved it.
There is a tale, told in Japanese, about Nelson Mandela. It is priceless!
The story of the Epicene (yes, I did have to look the word up) Butcher is a hauntingly hideous morality tale, exquisitely told.
Each story is complete in itself, perfectly formed and utterly satisfying.
Together the whole was magnificent and this work deserves a longer run so that everyone can get to see it.
The Epicene Butcher and other stories for consenting adults was presented by Daddy’s Little Secret. It was a winner of the 2012 Standard Bank Silver Ovation Awards. Written by Gwydian Beynan and directed by John Trengrove it starred Jemma Kahn. I saw it at The Nunnery on 10 August 2012.
What I do, see, hear, eat and drink. 