TIN BUCKET DRUM at Kalk Bay Theatre

Multi-award winning South African playwright Neil Coppen’s TIN BUCKET DRUM produced by IMBEWU Trust, finally comes to Cape Town after taking the world by storm.

Written and designed by Coppen (in his early twenties) and directed by fellow Durbanite Karen Logan, TIN BUCKET DRUM has been described as a whimsical allegory which weaves together elements of magical realism, shadow puppetry, Kabuki theatre and live percussion. Coppen’s play follows the story of Nomvula, a spirited child born with a revolutionary heart-beat into a cruel and silent dictatorship. Over the last decade the play has racked up several major awards at festivals and theatres throughout the country.

Sam De Romijin says, “Tin Bucket Drum has received a phenomenal response from South African & New York audiences and critics. We were elated at the reception we received over our short stay in New York and it bodes really well for IMBEWU taking further productions over in the years to come.”

New York Theatre Review selected the production as its pick of the week claiming: “So cohesive in artistic vision is this piece that it is decidedly difficult to parse out responsibility for its success. Actress Mthombeni is lifted and supported at every turn by quietly magical lighting, set, and sound design, by the ever-present, yet never distracting, significant percussionist talents of Wake Mahlobo with whom she shares the stage, and the clearly inimitable directorial force that is Karen Logan. The entire creative team works solidly as one unit to sweep you along on this tale. All of this before even getting to the beautiful story written soaringly by Neil Coppen.”

While The Examiner gave the production six-stars comparing it to Tony-Award winning Peter And The Starcatcher then playing on Broadway: “Multi-award winning Peter And The Starcatcher could have some competition in ticket sales of this off Broadway production at $18 gives you the same heartfelt journey of any multi-Tony award winning storytelling piece of theatre. Tin Bucket Drum is a mesmerizing piece of Kabuki style African storytelling.”

The Village Voice wrote: “In a theatre world full of high-flying superheroes and next-level spectacles, Tin Bucket Drum charmingly reminds us that, ultimately, what matters most is the story.”

While the Theatre is Easy Website summed up the production with: “Mthombeni really represents storytelling at its best. She gracefully and convincingly switches characters, from the confused child whose loud beating heart defies the village silence, to the ruthless and scary dictator who rules in fear. She is joined on stage by a live percussionist, Wake Mahlobo, who discretely accompanies her every move with sound, while not drawing any attention away from the main performer. The technical production is also simple but immaculate; lights change and shadows are cast in a way that perfectly frame the story’s changes and twists. While the piece is composed of simple and clearly defined elements, they are integrated in such a seamless and natural way that the whole is by far greater than the individual parts. And as such, it’s actually hard to do the piece justice by describing the elements that when interweaved make it so brilliant.”

Coppen claims the tour was a highlight of his career thus far. “When I was eight years old my father built me a wooden puppet box,” he says. “It folded down to fit in a car boot, so I could tour around children’s birthday parties and share my stories for pocket money. While setting up the set of Tin Bucket Drum in a New York theatre two weeks ago this memory revisited me. Although I was much older, it felt like I was I many ways still travelling with my puppet box only now telling my stories in places like New York City. It was a completely surreal and awe inspiring experience.”