Review: Energetic Performances from Zondi and Nzimande Make TERMITE a Romp for the Tween Set

TERMITE! TALL TALES FOR BIG PEOPLE is a dynamic performance piece in which two actors tell a trio contemporary tales that blend the oral tradition of izinganekwane with the physical theatre style that has a been a trademark of many South African theatre pieces from the late 1970s onwards. Mentioning "big people" in the title is a super tactic to attract the "tween" audience to which this production will appeal most, although there are plenty of nods to local political parties and popular culture to keep their guardians satisfied.

The three tales that make up TERMITE! TALL TALES FOR BIG PEOPLE include a story about why cows, dogs and goats behave the way they do when a minibus taxi drives up, a convoluted narrative about politicking chickens and a yarn about why dogs sniff other dogs' behinds when meeting. Each is loosely constructed, lending the piece a sense of spontaneity that is the play's greatest strength and its biggest weakness. Although the writing is full of highly imaginative play, it seems more the work of an ideas man than that of a coherent storyteller. Usually a far more incisive writer, Coetzee leaps from gag to gag in this piece, often allowing the overarching narrative in each of the three stories to get away from him.

Peter Mitchell's direction, though it keeps the performers moving and is inventive in its use of physicality and props to bring the stories to life, is no help in this regard. Like Coetzee's writing, Mitchell's staging is focused on moment-to-moment imagery - much of which is incredibly entertaining - without a clear sense of what the bigger picture is. It is direction that panders to short attention spans, substituting the challenge of developing consistent engagement with a kind of frenetic lunacy, which nonetheless has a certain appeal, even if it leaves one wanting something just a little less "doughnuts for dinner".

By far the strongest aspects of TERMITE! TALL TALES FOR BIG PEOPLE are the performances given by TQ Zondi and Mpilo Nzimande. Both actors deliver versatile vocal work as they shift from character to character and Mitchell employs their physical dexterity to great effect. Their stage personae are of the most charming variety - instantly likeable and completely unpretentious - and what success the piece has is entirely thanks to their incredible commitment to telling these stories, interacting with the audience and playing with the conventions of storytelling and theatre-making they employ.

Zondi and Nzimande's performances go a long way to counter the shortfalls in the writing and direction, but TERMITE! TALL TALES FOR BIG PEOPLE nevertheless feels a bit dated in spite of its animated efforts to appear otherwise. Like every second production that throws together a politician and a punchline these days, Hexagon Theatre markets the piece as a satire even though the piece does not get into the nitty-gritty of criticising its targets. While it does build in several one-liners that poke fun at figures like Robert Mugabe and Helen Zille, these all feels like they are part of an old joke that was much funnier ten years ago.

Although TERMITE! TALL TALES FOR BIG PEOPLE falls short of what it could be in terms of pulling together its diverse influences into a theatrically cohesive whole, the chickens of disappointment are unlikely to roost in the average tween's hair. For them, the entire thing will be a fun-filled romp from start to finish - and after all, it's all just meant to be a little bit of fun, isn't it?

TERMITE! TALL TALES FOR BIG PEOPLE runs at the Cape Town Fringe until 8 October. Details of performance times and booking information are available on the Cape Town Fringe website.

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