Review: Highly Watchable New Production of OUT OF BOUNDS at #NAF2016 Needs More Nuanced Directorial Eye

Hungry Minds Productions' OUT OF BOUNDS is a revival of the famous solo theatre piece by Rajesh Gopie. Crizelle Anthony makes her bow as a professional director with this production, following her graduation from the University of Cape Town. Presented by Hungry Minds Productions, OUT OF BOUNDS has been reworked as a two-hander for the National Arts Festival, with both actors in the cast currently studying at their director's alma mater.

OUT OF BOUNDS is something of a landmark South African text, one that toured internationally in its original staging, which Gopie performed itself. Many resource materials dealing with contemporary South African theatre, as taught in the Dramatic Arts high school curriculum in this country, reference the text, an acknowledgement that is significant but all too brief. It seems that the Department of Education has some catching up to do when it comes to prescribing contemporary South African set work texts in the Grade 12 year, during which learners study this section of work.

What makes OUT OF BOUNDS noteworthy is its depiction of the Indian South African experience. Framed by a traditional story, in which a hunter leaves his wife at home with strict instructions to isolate herself in their house so that she will be safe from harm, the motif of being "out of bounds" is introduced when the wife lets a demon into the house and must suffer the consequences of her actions. The play then follows a coming of age narrative, as a young boy named Lal, who lives in Inanda, observes his family and sketches out the heritage and social situation that will forever define his identity. After the Inanda Riots of 1985, during which a group consisting mostly of Zulu tribesmen attacked the Indian residents in the settlement, the South African government removed the Indian community from that area under the Group Areas Act and resettled the now fragmented society in Phoenix. With his family split apart, Lal is left to re-negotiate social boundaries that once made sense to him as he tries to get to grips with who he is.

Gopie's writing in OUT OF BOUNDS is masterful, and the play holds up beautifully almost two decades after its premiere. He has a fine sense of dealing with character, managing to elevate the many swiftly drawn figures in this play beyond the level of simple stereotypes. One can invest not only in Lal's story but also in the many other mini-narratives that the multiple characters introduce to the play. The director and cast mostly treat the text with integrity, although the occasional lapse does occur, for example, when an anachronistic GAME OF THRONES reference makes an unwelcome appearance in the dialogue. Gopie's play needs no such sprucing up; it is as resonant as it was back in 1999.

The scenic design of OUT OF BOUNDS is beautifully set up. Tin sheets serve as a backdrop to a circle of clothing items in the space, with three trunks and a model house used to depict the multiple settings of the play.

In her direction of OUT OF BOUNDS, Anthony deftly uses the set to establish some clear conventions in the production's opening sequence. As the actors perform the story that outlines the primary thematic concern of the play, Antony creates visual parameters for spaces that might be considered in and out of bounds on stage. Were her direction throughout the play as precise and considered as in this short scene, this production of OUT OF BOUNDS could soar. Unfortunately, she discards the ideas she has inculcated in the audience's minds almost immediately, and her staging becomes functional, limited in both its picturization and conceptual development.

The narrative of the scenic design also falters as the production progresses. When Lal's family is relocated to Phoenix, a plethora of stagehands all attempt to sneak onstage unnoticed to reduce the size of the playing area, trying to create a sense of the Inanda Riots by making a fair deal of ad-libbed noise. The transformation of the space is unnecessary: it is messy and jars with the style of the piece, dealing with the action in far too literal a manner. Much better is the use of the model house, which gets across the point in collaboration more efficiently and more effectively.

OUT OF BOUNDS is performed by Tailyn Ramasamy and Tazme Pillay. Both deliver competent performances, with some overly general mannerisms compromising the specificity and complexity of their characterisation. The division of the roles between Ramasamy and Pillay caters to the strongest aspects of each of the two young actors; the use of the technique could be employed better to link character and theme in a more layered manner.

Although OUT OF BOUNDS is highly watchable, Anthony should re-interrogate her production thoroughly so as to refine both her vision and her execution thereof. With festival platforms and fringe venues making multiple seasons possible for emerging theatre-makers, there is room to play with a piece between runs to refine one's skills and figure out how best to serve a text such as this one when shifting the parameters of its original presentation.

OUT OF BOUNDS opened at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown on 3 July. There is one remaining performance on 8 July at 16:00. Bookings are through the National Arts Festival website.

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