Lulama Masimini’s classic double hander, Waiting for Thandiwe, turns 20 years old this year, and in celebration, eMasimini productions in collaboration with fellow artist Xolisa Ngubelanga of Jo Kinda People , the play will be performed for the first time in the rural setting of Peddie this Saturday, 26 August.
What happens when a village boy meets a sophisticated city girl fresh from exile? What happens when they fall in love?
The story is set in the backdrop of a university campus and a rural homestead in the Eastern Cape. Their different backgrounds bring up a lot of comedy and drama which will either shake them or strengthen their romance.
The story of Lulu and Thandiwe is one that resonates with most 21st-century couples in various cosmopolitan spaces around the world. It is inspired by the life of Writer, Director, and Actor, Lulama Masimini who wrote the play whilst a drama student at the University of Cape Town.
This difficulty of co-existence against the backdrop of traditional belief systems and modern times is something young people are often faced with. Issues of identity, poverty, peer pressure, and the demands and influence of popular culture are hard to navigate.
The role of Thandiwe has impressively been played by various talented South African actresses such as Brenda Ngxoli, Zandile Msutwana, Sive Gaba, and Nkuli Sibeko. The play has toured nationwide and has been featured on international stages all over the world over the last two decades.
“We are taking the play to a village community that is the same as the village the play is set in. We are bringing the play to young people. We want to inspire the emerging drama movement eRhurha village. Ten audience members will have a chance to be selected to form their own drama group. They will be exposed to performances and storytelling workshops to enable them to tell stories of their own lived lives. We want a group or groups that can branch out into the province and nationwide,” enthuses Lulama Masimini.
According to Ngubelanga, this is the first performance of a 3-year project funded by the National Arts Council towards re-awakening art in rural communities.
Director’s Note
What a profound way to celebrate this milestone for this classical play, taking theatre back to the people.
I remember specifically the day this play saw its first stage, in 2003 at the University of Cape Town. What I don’t remember is how many times I have performed it since. I have taken it to the Steve Biko Centre in Ginsberg, National Arts Festival in Makhanda, the State Theatre, the Kalk Bay Theatre, Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre as well as the Edinburgh and Brisbane Festivals in New Zealand, considered the world’s largest arts festival.
My most memorable performance however was at a house I lived in, in Johannesburg. We staged it in the lounge. Friends came over with cushions and wine and they paid an entrance fee. We had a blast.
This weekend we are doing it again, this time for a rural-based audience eNgqushwa, eRhurha for mahala. I am not a stranger to eNgqushwa as I spent months here as a cast member of the TV production Tsha Tsha.
Our production team is still encouraged to reproduce this play, especially now during times of intense student struggles. The story provides a window into student life that is not normally revealed in our media.
I am over the Moon. I am a performer, I love performing. Lulama Masimini
About Jo Kinda People
Kinda is pronounced Keenda, a Jaluo word that means endeavor. Jo Kinda People means people who succeed. It can also mean “Your Kinda People”. A registered organisation that has three main programmes; MDALI, Sara Baartman Creative Scientists, and Ndinephupha.
JKP creates enabling environments to unleash the potential of the youth in marginalized communities. We are currently working with primary and high schools in Gqeberha, Peddie, and the Karoo.
For more information contact:
Xolisa Ngubelanga
Jo Kinda People Director
0630584171
xolisa.ngubelanga@gmail.com
