Nurse Mercy struggles with Kaashiefa
Title: Mercy
Written and directed by: Zubayr Charles
Performed by: Ibtisaam Florence, Jennifer Morris, Masnoena Leggett, Amaan Van Oordt and Vuyokazi Bulu
Dates of performance: 30 June – 3 July 2023
Venue: The Theatre Arts, Observatory
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The play skilfully captured the languages that connect Cape Town, as Kaaps sways with Arabic together with English, while flirting with Xhosa, allowing people from different backgrounds (cultures) to enjoy the play.
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Kaashiefa (played by Ibtisaam) has been diagnosed with dementia and after taking care of her for years, her children decide to have her admitted to an old age home, where her daily life becomes entangled with that of the nurse, Mercy Kilane’s (played by Jennifer).
Kaashiefa reciting her afternoon prayer, Dhur salaah, with prayer beads
Kaashiefa silently struggles to come to terms with being placed at the home while fighting the dementia “demons” that are robbing her of her intimate relationship with Allah (God). Nurse Mercy becomes attached to Aunty Kaashiefa, whose mind goes “in and out of reality”. While smiling and being helpful, Mercy, on the other hand, struggles with a family history of schizophrenia.
Then, one day, both have manic episodes. Kaashiefa encounters ephemerality, remembering painful memories of her past, and during such an episode she makes an extreme request to Mercy which leads to Mercy’s reliving the death of her mom.
The play skilfully captured the languages that connect Cape Town, as Kaaps sways with Arabic together with English, while flirting with Xhosa, allowing people from different backgrounds (cultures) to enjoy the play.
Although the themes are of a complex nature, the narration done by the characters creates lighter moments. The text is well thought through and well executed, but still allows the actors to make it their own. Scenes where Mercy prepares for work are among such moments.
The bath scene
The casting was done excellently, and credit must be given to the two main characters. The interaction between Kaashiefa’s children (played by Masnoena and Amaan) shows the reality of how the responsibility of an illness such as dementia can cause friction. Kudos to the two actors – they do a sterling job displaying it. The bathroom scene’s ingenious use of lighting and a screen demonstrates not only the normal ritual of bath time in a home, but adds an emotional touch to the Ghusl Mayyit.
The story ended in a fluid manner, leaving room for predicting the aftermath.
Zubayr Charles, in green, with the cast of Mercy
Well done to the writer and director for enlightening the audience on the seriousness of mental health issues, familial matters, and care of the elderly, while balancing it with a good dose of laughter.
- Photography: Theolla Langenhoven
See also:
"Maar jy’t eintlik vet geword" is just not a nice thing to say
When we want success for ourselves, we must want success for others
Kommentaar
My dearest Theolla. Thank you so much for supporting our show, but for also being a kind and true friend. I’m most honoured that you got to see ‘Mercy’ live, specifically as you were one of the first people to read the short story version of ‘Mercy’ three years ago, at The Paulet House in Somerset East when we completed our writer’s residency. Thank you for your kind words in this review and for most importantly highlighting the artistry of the cast of ‘Mercy’. It was not easy doing this production on our own, but with the help and support from people like you, we continue to move forward. I wish you all the best on your writing journey! Don’t doubt yourself. You are amazing and so is your work!
Absolutely grateful for the opportunity to be cast. Well done to our director and my lovely cast.
This play was absolutely fantastic. The story that takes you into different directions, and the in-depth topics that no one speaks about were beyond awesome. How the actors portrayed their characters were beyond me. They were all just absolute superstars. And to the director: You did a super awesome job in writing and directing this play.
It was an amazing production on so many daily issues which doesn't get spoken about; with an ending which kept one guessing as to what could be considered a conclusion. I can't wait to see what's next and I'm sure so many more would love to see this production as well.
Well done, Zubayr. I am so glad I got to watch it. I'm sure a lot of people took home some knowledge of how serious mental health is, and taking care of those who suffer, and also how to handle it as a family.'Mercy' was my favourite actor, she is extremely talented. So was the rest, but she stood out for me. Adding by culture/religion was also an excellent idea. It captures one's attention.
I found Mercy to be a beautiful storyline acted out with such passion. It was emotional and funny. Kept me entertained throughout the show.
👏Well done to the "Mercy Crew". Issues highlighted within the play had such an important message, the many ways of abuse, mental wellness and dealing with past trauma, are crucial in the time we live in. Keep up this amazing work. 👏
I attended the show on the Friday night. The electricity was most tangible! The actors really took on their roles with such passion and I was left feeling absolutely moved as my late father M Sedick Joseph suffered from dementia as well. Zubayr Charles has proven to me that, if you believe in the story you want to tell, that you shouldn't give up until it's voice is heard. It is heard, and well received. Congratulations on a fantastic production!
Just wow. This play was amazing. Mr Charles never stops shocking us all with his amazing work! If you didn't watch the play, let me tell you how much of a curve ball it was. Like it had so many hardcore topics that not many writers are brave enough to include in their work. Mr Charles stands for the truth and is willing by all means to expose it, if need be!! The world truly needs more people like him, people who aren't afraid of confronting things that happen in reality. I'm not Muslim, but seeing or getting a glimpse of the religion was just so beautiful, how one can still pray and follow the instructions of Allah even to their last breath. I absolutely can't wait for what's coming up next.🙌👏👏👏👏👏
Lighting, sound and stage design were cleverly executed. I loved the use of voice-over to give the audience insight into the mind of Aunty Kashiefa; also Nurse Mercy's schizophrenia is excellently displayed through the interplay between the voice in her head and her dialogue. The many themes - some overt, others not so obvious - of mental illness, familial responsibility, sexual abuse, religion, carrying out civil duty, love and resentment are carefully woven together to keep the audience enthralled and in suspense. A must-see.
You all seem like a great team, and I'd be honored to work with you
The play touched on real-life experiences that are not easily spoken about across all cultures, even though the focus was on Muslim religion. It had me and my youngsters that attended captivated from beginning to end. We laughed, we worried, we were horrified and sad with the emotions cleverly played by the cast. Well done!
I didn’t know what to expect, my wife didn’t even tell me the name of the play!
Mercy… Relatable, thought-provoking, relevant and entertaining.
A well-written play, the actors portrayed the characters with distinction and I especially liked the creative use of the lighting in some scenes. Bravo, Zubayr! Looking forward to more of your work.
Well done, Zubayr and the entire Mercy cast 👏🏼👏🏼. The performance was well executed and the storyline of mental health awareness was projected for the entire audience to understand just how important it is. What an amazing production, you should all be proud! Looking forward to hopefully many more to come. IA🙂
Dit was 'n verskriklike goeie operasie. Ek het dit baie geniet, omdat dit vir my laat dink het aan hoe my lewe is. En dit sê baie, die rede is omdat ek kon baie relate met die operasie. Ek voel dat almal baie goed was wat deel van die operasie was.
Wow. Well done to everyone who played their part in this play. My emotions ran high from the very beginning of the play. My wish is that everyone gets to watch Mercy. After my experience, I made it my duty to tell everyone about the wonderful performance. May you guys prosper and grow from strength to strength.
I would just like to say well done to you the entire cast. 👏
I actually really enjoyed myself, it was very inspirational and very entertaining. The performance of each cast member was exceptional. 👌 And this goes out to my cousin aswel. I'm really proud of you.
It was a beautiful show. Mshallah well done. 😍 ❤️
This play was absolutely fantastic. The story that takes you into different directions and the in-dept topics that no one speaks about were beyond awesome. How the actors portray their characters, were beyond me. They were all just absolute superstars and do to our director u did a super awesome job in writing and directing this play.
So honoured to have been apart of this exceptional production, the audience’s reaction was priceless. Great work Zubayr Charles, may your stories continue to inspire.
The play, "Mercy", reminds me about a lot of mental health issues and what people have to go through if they suffer from mental disorders.
I found this play very interesting because it shows us what people go through in our communities and it touched so many peoples' hearts emotionally. On the other hand there was also some entertainment and laughs and so much creativity. It was amazing!
Such a well thought out play. I was really intrigued by the storyline as it highlights so many issues people struggle with. Not only was it very relatable, but the play also had a touch of humor which made it even more enjoyable. Excellent work from the cast and director.
All I can say is: "Amazing from beginning to the end!" To the cast, a great job was done! And to our director, Zubayr: I truly appreciated the opportunity to get involved and be part of an awesome production. To many many more! I/A, ameen.
The play ‘Mercy’ was truly eye opening and it shed light upon a lot of taboo topics that aren’t mentioned in society. Like: How the elderly can often be treated as burdens and then left in old age homes? It also exposes the reality of the existence of mental health illnesses like dementia and how they can be helped as well. I’d further recommend this play to other theatre lovers so you can also be shaken out of your boots.
Wow! Well done to Zubayr and cast. Issues that don't get discussed daily was so beautifully portrayed.
Mercy, a fantastic show! Congratulations! 5 gold stars to the cast and the director/writter. Zubayr perhaps the next show can be a musical so that Mrs Legge can do her 'thang'😀. "Mercy", excellent performance! Your voice was well projected throughout the show. Great storyline too.
This play was so relatable and fantastic. What triggered me the most is the fact that it’s happening in our everyday life. That’s what makes it so relatable. I have absolute no words, because it was so amazing and the act was so realistic with the actors on stage. Also, it teaches you things you should look out for, especially as you're getting older. Things change, especially regarding parents. The play was really satisfying. Very much pleased!
Baie geluk, Zubayr! En dankie, Theolla, dat jy lesers 'n kykie in die stuk kon gee.
What an amazing and thought-provoking play. I enjoyed watching. A very well done to the director who was also my English teacher, Mr Charles. You are truly an inspiration to the youth.🙏
This play was absolutely fantastic. The story that takes you into different directions and the in-depth topics, that no one speaks about, were beyond awesome. How the actors portray their characters were beyond me. They were all just absolute superstars. And to our director: You did a super awesome job in writing and directing this play.
Excellent casting and directing, the play was good
This was such a beautiful play to witness. However, I'm not surprised as Zubayr Charles always knows how to capture his audience through his stories. This play definitely touched on topics which are considered taboo within a lot of households, however, you and the cast managed to touch on so many issues as well as add a touch of humour - which definitely captivated us as audience members.
Congrats and keep up the hard work.
This play was excellent and I will go and see it again. The play was relatable and it took me on an emotional roller-coaster. Will recommend anyone to go and see it.