Review: MANJE! MANJE (AN EPIC) at Magnet Theatre Is a Spectacular Extravaganza of Myth-Making and Retelling

This show blew me away. Days after having witnessed it, I am still ruminating over the lushness of it all. I’ve never seen anything like it.

I’ve experienced a few pieces this year that deal with or draw from Greek mythology – all have been excellent. I’ve also seen a couple of shows that comment on the advanced technological age in which we find ourselves – and the (seemingly) inevitable convergence of man and machine. As Daedalus asks in this piece, “Is it important to know what is human and what is machine?” This show goes further than the two types of show described above: it situates ancient Greek myths in the age of the machine. It weaves the technological age into the timeless tapestry of myths. In doing so, it forces us to interrogate our own humanity.

Beyond posing profound questions, the show is massive in scope. It boasts original and complex music, superb dancing, exquisite singing, physical theatre, gorgeous visual projections onstage and superb acting. I was simply blown away.

Like any epic, the story moves through various generations, focusing on different individuals at different times. At the centre of the narrative is inventor extraordinaire, Daedalus, played expertly by Jennie Reznek. I adored the construction of Daedalus in this piece: dressed like a tech entrepreneur giving a TED Talk, donning sneakers and a smart watch, this could be a representation of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk. Resnek captures the perfect combination of ambition, brilliance and arrogance – ultimately ending in tragedy and reaffirming the inevitable fallibility of all. Even genius inventors are human after all.

The story begins with Zeus and his entrancing, and ultimate assaulting of, Europa. It moves to Minos, Pasiphae and the Minotaur, and to Daedalus, Ariadne, Icarus and more figures famous in Greek mythology. The explorations of these myths are categorised into different ‘tracks’, the names of which are projected onto the stage. There are ten tracks in total, with some interludes in between. While the show comprises myriad myths, the piece is entirely coherent and functions as one epic, as the title states.

The talent of each and every actor, singer, dancer, musician, and artist in this show is overwhelming. The pace is excellent and the execution flawlessly slick – and I saw the production on its preview night. MANJE! MANJE shines as an ensemble-work, with direction by Mark Fleishman; script by Jennie Reznek and Mwenya Kabwe; musical composition by Neo Muyanga; visual projections by Marcus Neustetter; choreography by Ina Wichterich; musical direction by Neo Muyanga and Lungiswa Plaatjies; set and costume design by Craig Leo and assisted by Grace Lorenzo; and props by Sipho Ngxola, Belinda Clark and Luya Nogodlwana. This doesn’t even cover the entire team – far from it in fact.

What strikes me most is the mastery in each separate craft: this is not simply an imported musical being staged. This is a completely original work that excels in every area into which it extends. Each element works to enrich and to further the reach of the epic.

It’s not possible to comment on everything that I loved in this show, so I’ll just mention a few things. The Minotaur’s mask is superbly crafted – it was a masterpiece in and of itself.

The complex songs and musical arrangements are glorious – worthy of the praise of Broadway musicals, and oh so intricate. The live band adds another layer to the richness of the production, and every single member of the cast is excellent.

Even the projected animations are used to advance the plot – nothing is superfluous superfluous. For example, a bloody image is projected onto the translucent curtains through which a horned beast slowly emerges.  This portrayal of the birth of the Minotaur is genius.

Really, I loved everything: the live band consisting of Lungiswa Plaatjies and Brydon Bolton, the opera singing, the costumes, the Narrator. Everything.

My favourite scene takes place in Track 9, and titled “Shisanyama”. We witness three daughters – inventions of Daedalus. We are told that they have no mother. Are they human? Are they robots? Are they cyborgs? Again, does the difference matter? Their trilling harmonies, their jarring, robotic movements, and their menacing, plastic-like smiles are terrifying and magnificent. Is this our future? The trio ace this track.

Ultimately, this enchanting piece of theatre asks us to stop, begs us to take a moment. Right before Pasiphae couples with the bull, the Narrator intervenes, desperately crying out, “Can we just pause for a second? Take a moment to think about this!”, she cautions us. But the response from the ensemble is an insouciant “too late”. Have we gone too far with our inventions and our technological advancements? Have we reached the point of no return? Once we couple with the “shiny and white bull” – the gleaming pieces of machinery that we hold in our hands every day, it is too late. But has this not threshold not already been crossed? When we couple with the machine, we lose ourselves and our humanity.

These are tough realities to grapple with but the multi-media extravaganza through which we are transported makes the pill that much easier to swallow.

MANJE! MANJE (AN EPIC) runs from 6 to 16 November at the Magnet Theatre. Tickets range from R100.00 to R200.00 available via Webtickets and cost .

Photo credit: Mark Wessels

 


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