Review: Newly Conceived THE FIREBIRD Belies the Clarity of it Creator's Vision

Piecing together a new mythology is an audacious undertaking, and yet it is an act that is at the very heart of theatre-making: the building of a new world, with its own origins and order, that only becomes fully realised when an audience believes in it. THE FIREBIRD attempts just that, telling a post-apartheid South African story against the backdrop of a created mythology. As universal forces wage war through an individual being, a figure who simultaneously journeys on a quest towards self-actualisation, symbolic characters that resemble birds, snakes, dogs and dragons embody the supernatural forces at work. There is even an element of fate at play, with the production unpacking the prophecies made about what a liberated South Africa could be like.

The ideas that comprise the mythology of this new interpretation of THE FIREBIRD have been developed over the past few years. Janni Younge, who also directs the piece, and her collaborators have clearly worked hard to flesh out their all-new take on the age-old folklore that inspired Igor Stravinsky to write his evocative score for the original ballet in 1910. Nonetheless, their production, which is told through the evocative languages of dance, puppetry and animation, never transforms into a compelling and immersive mythology. At its best, it communicates a sense of wonder at the miracle of pretending; when it falters, it slips into a pretentiousness that is deeply frustrating.

At the centre of THE FIREBIRD is a figure known as the Seeker, a role danced by Jacqueline Manyaapelo who puts across the character's conflict in a finely-tuned and emotional execution of Jay Pather's choreography, which is expressive throughout the production and really comes into its own when he finds ways of juxtaposing the various physical languages at play in the piece. Attempting to find her place in the world, the Seeker finds a guide in the Alchemist of Honesty (Ntombi Gasa), a role that never embodies fully, in its translation to the stage, the complex figure outlined in the programme notes. The Seeker comes up against both creative and destructive forces that battle for control over the Innocents, the Speaker's creative ideas that are represented by puppets of children, which are the focus of the most enthralling sequence in the piece. It is only in these brief minutes, halfway through the production, that THE FIREBIRD realises its potential as an organic, multi-disciplinary work of art.

Although there are many ideas at play in THE FIREBIRD, it is evident from the start that everything is leading up to the birth of the titular Firebird from an egg that hangs above the stage, onto which animated projections by Michael Clark are cast. Clark's animation lends THE FIREBIRD its socio-political context, with the images of South Africa's disillusioned rainbow nation feeding the giant creature that will emerge from the shell in utero.

The birth of the Firebird and its flight should be a coup de theatre, a rhapsodic climax that leaves the audience in awe of what they have seen. But the spectacle is undercut by the trauma of watching the bird set-up by the cast and the crew. As they tangle their way through cables and cords, with headsets and communication units flashing away, it feels as though something could go wrong at any moment. There is no attempt to frame the unpacking of the puppet as meta-theatre, a modality that in any case would need a solid foundation earlier on in the piece, yet it becomes impossible to watch the dance that takes place while all of this is happening just a few meters upstage. The dramatic focus of the story shifts, failing any sense of storytelling through either dance or assemblage in this pivotal sequence of the production.

Despite the difficulties faces in operating this final puppet, the design of the puppets is magnificent. Younge, working with Jonah Delange and Andy Jones, assisted by Peter Collard, has created not only wondrous birds and beasts, but also wonderfully delicate children and child fragments, all of which are brought to life in the hands of the company, which includes Beren Belknap, Thulisile Binda, Zandile Constable, Oleksii Ishchenko, Dunty La Trobe, Nkanyiso Kunene, Craig Leo, Nkosinathi Mngomezulu, Mxolisi Nkomonde, Shaun Oelf, Elvis Sibeko and Andile Vellem, and under Mannie Manim's no-nonsense lighting. The costumes, designed by Birrie Le Roux, are functional and mostly in neutral colours; when she is offered greater opportunities to characterise through costume, as in the case of the Alchemist of Honesty, her work is too understated.

In her programme notes, Younge articulates the thematic intention of her version of THE FIREBIRD: to explore the Jungian concept of cyclical progression. The lack of focus in her direction of the piece itself belies the crystal clarity of her vision. THE FIREBIRD just does not come together in the way that her OUROBOROS did, all the more disappointing because what she is trying to say holds so much relevance in a contemporary South African context.

When Michael Fokine choreographed the original production of THE FIREBIRD, he did so with a clear dramaturgical manifesto in place, one which Younge cites as an influence on her adaptation. Fokine sought to strip ballet of its layers of artifice and virtuoso showmanship as impediments to thematic development. It is ironic, then, that this interpretation loses itself in both, never weaving together the diverse threads that make up THE FIREBIRD into a new, seamless whole.

This review of THE FIREBIRD is based on its presentation at the Artscape Opera House, which took place from 24 - 26 June, where the recorded score was filtered through the sound design of Daniel Eppel. THE FIREBIRD is currently running at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, where it opened last night and closes tonight, with tickets having sold out. Thereafter, THE FIREBIRD will embark on an international tour, including stops in Philadelphia at the Mann Center, with the Philadelphia Orchestra; in Washington, DC at Wolf Trap, with the National Symphony Orchestra; in Chicago at Ravinia, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; in Sun Valley, ID at the Sun Valley Pavilion with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony; in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; and in Saratoga, NY at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The production is not recommended for children under the age of 6 years.

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