Review: Powerful HOLY CONTRACT Reminds Us That We Can Stop, Even as It Encourages Us to Go

HOLY CONTRACT is already going full steam ahead when audiences enter the theatre, with five of the characters that that feature in the piece engaged in a pre-show performance of ritualistic proportions. Khayalethu Anthony's Khaya runs on the spot, centre stage, driven by something that we do not yet understand. As Gogo, Thumeka Mzayiya's head turns sharply as she mouths words that remain unheard. Zanele Radu's eyes are shut: is Girlfriend saying a prayer or trying to transcend the noise of life that surrounds her? Everyone passes a Preacher as they enter the house, with Khayalethu Mofu intensely focused on the heavens and the tools of his trade. Upstage, a Gangster hovers in the background, flicking his knife atop a barrel that will be Vele Zozo's home base for the next hour or so. It is the perfect opening for a production that envelops its audience in a complex sensory network, all in the creation of a startlingly contemporary piece of theatre that expresses age-old truths, many of which are communicated to the audience through a Narrator played by Monwabisi Sopitshi.

HOLY CONTRACT is billed as an homage to Gil Scott-Heron, a multi-disciplinary American performance artist whose lyrical works of poetry, jazz and spoken word focused largely on the socio-political issues of the 1970s and 1980s, although Scott-Heron remained active until his death in 2011. The piece uses several of Scott-Heron's songs, including "Pieces of a Man", "The Prisoner", "Home is Where the Hatred Is" and "I'm New Here", to craft a narrative about a man named Khaya whose life unravels following the death of his grandmother, who he describes as a woman who, when sweeping with her broom, 'was really sweeping up the pieces of a broken man'. He ends up in prison - some cutting commentary here as the Narrator tells the audience that 'you might think his life is hell, but it is the first room he has ever had to himself' - and upon release needs to work out what it means to 'be new' in the world again.

None of the songs is presented in the form that they take on Scott-Heron's albums. Rather, each one is fully deconstructed to see what it can contribute to the themes and narrative of HOLY CONTRACT. When lyrics and motifs from the original pieces appear, they are completely transformed to suit their new context while still carrying the searing honesty that characterises the original texts.

The company of HOLY CONTRACT delivers fantastic ensemble work, without which this piece would not be as gripping as it is. As Khaya, Anthony runs the gamut of emotions during the performance, delivering physically and vocally dextrous work as he does so. Mzayiya is extraordinary as Gogo, maintaining a striking intensity even when she is not directly involved in the action of a scene.

As Khaya's Girlfriend, Radu delivers beautiful scene work opposite Anthony. The writing in this particular sequence, subtitled "Give Her a Call", has the poetic rhythm of Herbert Dhlomo's literary dramas. The heightened overall presentation of HOLY CONTRACT holds that kind of literary style well, with Radu and Anthony playing formal language adopted here in a way that makes them feel like a pair of lovers for the ages.

Sopitshi's narration brings the circle of characters in HOLY CONTRACT together. Positioned so far downstage as to be almost in the audience, he effortlessly shifts in and out of the action without ever disappearing from the audience's consciousness. As the Gangster and Preacher, a pair of characters that switch between the modes of person and symbol, Mofu and Zozo capably play up the contrasts, as well as the some of the unsettling similarities, between their characters.

Collaborating as directors on the piece, Alfredo Brillembourgh and Mandisi Sindo have found a winning formula for presenting the simple home truth around which HOLY CONTACT spins its circular narrative in as complex a manner as it appears in reality. The collaborative spirit of the process is clearly visible in the performance, with Brillembourgh and Sindo having worked with their large team's full investment in the piece to enhance every aspect of the production. The production design by Anne Rusch, partnering with Katharien de Villiers (set) and Barbara Guarducci (costumes), is richly textured, integrating the themes, setting and character into a fully compelling visual world. Soundscape artist Simon Kohler's work with composer Martin Andersson and sound designer Nadine Schütz creates a complementary aural environment in which the drama of HOLY CONTACT can play out.

HOLY CONTRACT ends with a brief but powerful statement: "No matter how far wrong you have gone / You can always turn around / And you may come full circle / And be new here again." When reflecting on our personal, social, political or artistic narratives, sometimes it is essential to remember that we can stop, be present and decide whether we want to swim upstream or not. HOLY CONTRACT is a potent reminder of our power as individual human beings.

Presented by Theatre4Change and Urban-Think Tank, HOLY CONTRACT plays its last performance at the Cape Town Fringe today at 16:00. Bookings are available through the Cape Town Fringe website.

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