Singing around the clock

08 August 2013 - 03:23 By Karabo Kgoleng

Mbongeni Ngema's musical Asinamali! opened on Broadway in the US back in the 1980s when South Africa was in the midst of a state of emergency.

A cathartic, creative expression of black and working class woes, Asinamali! is a glimpse into the lives of five men who are in jail for bizarre reasons.

The musical is a romp through the grand narrative of South Africa's sociopolitical landscape of the time. It is told in the form of a sing-off that describes the journey that brings these inmates together.

With Asinamali! , Ngema treats a painful human situation artistically, using humour, mime and a choral style of music to personalise the political.

The men are introduced by their prisoner numbers and then reveal their stories. Among them are a stammering polygamist sold out by his cousin at work, and a farm worker who was caught having an affair with the wife of his white boss.

Prince Lamla, winner of this year's Standard Bank Young Artist award for drama, directs this production of Asinamali!.

There is minimal use of props and costumes so the actors use their bodies and voices to deliver the tale inspired by the rent strike of 1983 in Lamontville and the death of activist Msizi Dube.

For a young audience it is an entertaining way of telling us where we come from. For the elders, it is a gentle reminder of the gains (and losses) that have brought us to where and who we are today. The modern rural and urban conditions have not dated and neither has the human need to tell a story .

The over-the-top style of delivery of musicals is appropriate, I think, for the emotions evoked by life's tragedies . It gives us a reason to remove our cynic's glasses and allows an artist to give voice and sound to our outrage while delivering some relief.

"Asinamali!" is at The Market Theatre, Johannesburg, until August 18. See www.markettheatre.co.za

ALSO ON

HAYANI

Atandwa Kani and Nat Ramabulana perform.

Where: The Baxter, Cape Town, www.baxter.uct.ac.za, 0861-915-8000

When: Until August 31.

NATIVE SESSION: WOMEN OF SOUTH AFRICA

Music and poetry to celebrate female artists.

Where: The Fringe at the Joburg Theatre, www.joburgtheatre.com, 0861-670-670

When: Tonight

STARLIGHT EXPRESS

Speed, spectacle, energy, stunts, dazzling sets and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical hits.

Where: The Mandela Theatre at the Joburg Theatre, www.joburgtheatre.com, 0861-670-670

When: Until September 1.

SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN'S ARTS FESTIVAL

Featuring top female performers .

Where: The Playhouse, Durban

When: Until August 17, http://playhouse company.com, 031-369-9596