Photograph: Emma Wiehman
Title: Hans steek die Rubicon oor
With: Charles Bouguenon
Director: Lizz Meiring
Producer: Leftfoot Theatre Productions
Author: Rudie van Rensburg
Adaptation: Francois Toerien
Technical care, set and lighting design: Jak J Brits
Costumes: Hollywood Costumes
Soundtrack: Wesley West
Stage manager: Jak J Brits
In collaboration with Innibos and NATi
“The actor plays 16 characters – in an old age home. Come watch tonight.” That’s the line I hear as I walk out of another very deep performance. Hans, I think to myself. And I’m already going to see it. So I do. And I sit down and I hope that this will be a good, easy-to-watch show. And it is! As I walk out, I hear the audience members still chuckling, discussing their favourite characters and repeating lines that they thought were funny. I see everyone: elderly audience members giggling about how they are seen and portrayed, school children entering the world of theatre with awe, industry people supporting each other, and everything in between. And I think: we need more of this.
Let me go a little off topic for a second and just explain what an odd experience a festival actually is. For a day, week or even more, the audience leaves their normal routine behind and goes from one venue to another, watching play after play after play. Often, they watch similar pieces straight after each other, or the same actors in different shows. After a while, festival fatigue sets in. That’s when you start feeling like you just can’t watch another story about rape, murder, child abuse or existential nihilism. Those shows obviously have their place and I have raved about some of them, but there is a saturation point. And if the audience doesn’t get a break from “artsy”, “modern”, “deep” or “thought-provoking” work, they might just shatter. So, it is very important to have high-quality, easy-to-watch comedy – to get people laughing and allow that tension and pressure a space to release. At the same time, a show that doesn’t demand the audience to analyse their thoughts and emotions is a stepping stone for new theatre-goers.
So, let’s get back to Hans. Based on the book by Rudie van Rensburg (which is also now a movie), this play has been cleverly adapted by Francois Toerien and produced by Leftfoot Theatre Productions. The stylistic choice was made that one actor would play multiple roles in a slightly stereotyped comic book character style – not too comical to be unrelatable, but enough to differentiate each character. The set is minimal – three collapsible screens covered in photos, a small table and two camping chairs. There are no costume changes (that would just waste time and is unnecessary) and no major technology, just some thematic music to add atmosphere. This clean, technical design makes it ideal as a travelling piece and, although simple, it gives the actor and audience all they need.
The starting point of any good play is the script. With Hans, the book is an established hit, with clever humour and likeable, oddball characters. The script has been well adapted – cutting out any unnecessary parts and leaving action and memorable moments aplenty. Of course, the next step is to get the right director, and I don’t think a better choice could have been made. Lizz Meiring’s attention to detail, her understanding of comic timing and her emphasis on story above anything else truly shine through. And finally, there is the actor. He must stand on the stage and bring all those aspects together, while unexpected tech errors and audience reactions make every show a new challenge. Hats off to Charles Bouguenon for his effortless transitions, for his strong characterisation and for reading his audience throughout. I especially applaud his improvised addition of “and that bloody phone that keeps going off” during a scolding session midway through the play, when an audience member resolutely refused to switch off their phone!
The story is fun and a little silly. After a break-in, Hans is placed in an old age home by his children, who have scattered across the globe. He escapes for a holiday before even reaching the old age home, and that sets the tone for his future stay. Continued breakouts, new friendship formed over dagga cookies and a continuous battle with Matrone (previously a prison guard) ensues. Along the way, adventures go awry, and finally the team’s campaign is successful – Hans is once again a hero. A sweet story, but not the main success of this play (or even of the book). It is the characters that really make it unforgettable. Hans’s stubbornness, Vasie’s unquenchable enthusiasm, Liesbet’s Pretorian accent and Baby’s constant gasping from behind her walker – not to mention the diverse “support cast” of smaller characters popping in and out – are what add charm and relatability. We all know these people in one form or another. In essence, this is a strongly character-driven piece.
I know this play has been doing the rounds for a while, and I’m a little late to the party. But perhaps that isn’t a bad thing. There is a well-oiled flow to the piece that can be achieved only from a long run. Most South African theatre does not get performed for long enough. The more a piece is done, the more you can improve it. And I feel blessed to have seen this play in that final, refined state. I would not call it a message-heavy production, although there is, of course, the theme of neglecting the elderly or the idea that vulnerable members of society are often suppressed or sidelined. But you don’t have to analyse it (unless you want to). You can just watch, laugh and enjoy. And that is what makes it such a great piece of theatre!