Patience Rusere
PRETORIA’s @Momentum State Theatre has been showing Mooi Street Moves a modern South African classic by renowned local playwright Paul Slabolepszy, until the 25th of this month.
The play, which has been running every day of the week, except on Mondays and Sundays, is based on a story in Hillbrow, 1992.
It takes a tragicomic look at a white country bumpkin Henry Stone and a black urban hustler Stix Letsebe whom are trapped dealing with the remnants of apartheid and a dawn of a new nation at the same time.
Directed by MoMo Matsunyane, a devastated Henry shows up in Stix’s flat looking for his brother Steve, Stix has no choice but to take him in and prepare him for survival in the rough streets of Johannesburg.
This play will amuse with its comic exploration of cultural and racial tension, and move one with the newly found brotherhood, as the dark alleys and lurking shadows of Hillbrow greet them at every turn.
The play Matsunyane’s third professional offering Since Penny which she wrote and directed for the So Solo festival at Wits and Phillip Dikotla’s Kulneck , which premiered at the National Arts Festival last July.
The Wits University graduate, who is also an actor, performer, writer and part of the hugely talented Thenx sketch comedy group, has also co- directed Tau with Thabiso Ramalla for the Market Theatre.
Warona Seane provides dramaturgy in this first production to see two females collaborate for a professional staging of Mooi Street Moves.
Seane’s stage acting credits include, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When The Rainbow Is Enuf” (Fleur Du Cap 2002); The Alchemist’s Heart, Nothing but the Truth and Nongogo (Naledi nomination 2006).
Tselaan adaptation of “Waiting for Godot”, “Ukutshona ko Mendi: Did We Dance” and “Tin Bucket Drum”.
Seane’s directing credits include “Sacred Thorn” “Yes Medem” Nelisiwe Xaba’s solos “Fragments of an Orgy” “Mute Echoes” and “Romeo and Juliet” “For Colored/Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf” by Ntozakhe Shange; “Eclipsed” by Danai Gurira “We Are Here” by Antonio Lyons, “The Mountaintop” by Katori Hall (Naledi Best Director nomination 2013) “Hani” for the Gauteng Opera’s Cula Mzansi and “OoMaSisulu” which is currently playing at NAF 2016.
Ms. Seane taught at Wits School of Arts and the Market Theatre Laboratory, has presented at the “Black Women in the Performing Arts Conference: Volume 1” at The Steve Biko Centre and the 10th Women Playrights International Conference. Warona Seane was the first Artistic Manager at Soweto Theatre between 2013-2015.
Two of South Africa amazing actors Theo Landey (Henry Stone) and Motlatsi Mafatshe (Stix Litsebe) reprise this Slabolepzy’s classical production to life for the South African State Theatre.
Theo Landey classically trained at LAMDA, Theo has appeared in many successful theatrical productions locally and abroad. He made his South African debut in The Judas Kiss as Lord Alfred Douglas in 2000 and since then has acted in many local productions; notably the Tesson Theatre’s King Lear, Romeo & Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing. Theo was part of the original cast of the Market Theatre’s highly acclaimed Death of a Colonialist as well as the Theatre on the Square’s successful production of David Mamet’s Romance, to name a few, The History Boys and Travels with my Aunt for which he won a Naledi for Best Supporting Actor. His television credits include several international TV shows, locally he has been appeared in SABC’s “The Res” and “Generations”, MNET’s Innocent Times and Erfsondes and ETV’s daily soap Scandal!
He has done a few feature films too; locally he was the voice of Percy Fitzpatrick in Jock of the Bushveld 3D as well as the critically acclaimed Long Walk to Freedom. International movies include Man to Man, I Dreamed of Africa and To the Ends of the Earth. Released later this year Theo also stars in Amma Asante’s highly anticipated biopic feature film about Seretse Khama; A United Kingdom. This is his first production for the State Theatre.
Motlatsi Mafatshe is an AFDA of motion picture & live performance, whose relatively short and versatile career has seen him become a household name in the SABC 3 soap Isidingo and Mzansi Magic’s Ayeye, he has featured in a number of local feature film and his most notable performance being in a lead role in Khalo Matabane’s When we were Black.
He is a singer song writer, music producer and lead of the international famed Mo and The Dark Knights, which has seen him perform across the southern African region..
The Star Newspaper has rated him 1 of top 100 South Africans in 2007 amongst the likes of Tokyo Sexwale and Nelson Mandela.
He has also worked with NYS Music production on the (It’s for Life) sitcom as the producer and composer of the theme music, title sequence and the hit single It’s for life.
In 2012 his band was the opening act for Usher Raymond’s SA Tour at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto an audience of about 20 000.
– trong>Guardian