Market Theatre Blog 4 Stars review for #TAU - by Diane De Beer

In: UncategorisedIT'S THE brilliance of the staging, the courage of conviction and the telling of a story that holds tightly on to its authenticity which leaves you almost breathless while watching a company so young in this winning production of a recent Zwakala Festival. But to come clean right at the start, not understanding what was perhaps 75 percent of the text because it played out in Sotho with some English, it's difficult to.comment on the content, but for the bravery and the little I understood and was able to surmise during interviews and in the programme. Not that that's at issue, apart from not knowing from the start which would have meant another reviewer to do the production justice during what is probably going to be too short a run. Grasping just what is at issue with such a sensitive topic, one has to be.completely immersed and fully understand the play Rammala's driven mission was to look at what it was to be a man with initiation at the centre of the story To.complicate the argument even more, he brings homosexuality to the table. At stake is the relevance of initiation in today's world, in the lives of young men in the modern world, as they battle tradition and modernity the validity of both and whether the issues at stake are as pure as they are presented. Judging by the rustle in the packed theatre, this was a bumpy ride and that made it even more fascinating and frustrating not to participate in the full meaning of the work. That aside, the production and the staging were yet more validation that this was something special. From the start, the sterling cast is involved as they stand on stage while the audience enters to start their storytelling, which is held with complete focus right to the dramatic end. It covers the full range, from song to storytelling to dancing and fighting, all in search of the heart of the story It's a prime example of how to use theatre to investigate and explore different topics in this diverse society of ours. For those whose culture is being dissected, the experience is.completely different to those of us pulled into this ritualistic world of which some aspects (the general gist) might be familiar, but more detail helps to unravel more of the secrets, adding to the understanding. Yet it is a universal story about finding your place in your own universe and making your morals count to make meaning of your life. It's going to be fascinating to watch this young dynamic theatre couple (directors Rammala and Matsunyane) develop. Already they're determined to grab the stage with a power that's ambitious yet heart-stopping. Watch them develop and find their dramatic niche which should be a huge drawcard for a young audience, while invigorating those more mature with courage. On the night, I felt the loss of not understanding the language. Boys to men: putting manhood in spotlight Tau concerns initiation into manhood.