This review is part of the LitNet | STAND theatre review workshop. The ten participants each submit a review to the workshop mentors for feedback. The participants will then be able to edit their submissions, receive additional feedback from the mentors and finalise their reviews.
This is the first version of Alberto Smit’s review.
Jessie, die man en die maan – a production that shines as brightly as the moon
Produced by Unusual Bones
Written and directed by Kanya Viljoen
Performed by Carlo Daniels
Stage manager: Amber Fox-Martin
Music by Jannous Aukema
The moon has been a source of fascination for centuries. We have created myths, stories and superstitions around the light in the night sky. These have been told around fires, on street corners and in theatres. Jessie, die man en die maan joins the ranks of stories inspired by the moon.
The sound of street hustle. The dimly lit stage is washed in blue. Two lamps.
An actor. A windowpane. A chair. A simple story. A man falls in love with a woman. A child is born on a full moon night. A woman dies at the hand of a man. The son keeps searching for his mother in the moon. Every night. Until he meets his demise in the river where he believes his mother’s reflection shines. A man’s story of grief. Grief for his wife. Grief for his son. Grief for the realisation of the system that he must face each day.
The moon plays an integral role in this production. It is in the moonlight that our two lovers meet. It is on the night of a full moon that their child is born – evoking a superstition that the birth of a child on a full moon night means trouble. Jessie and his mother play under the moonlight on blankets (made up to look like the moon) to see who can spot the rising moon first. The moon sees the horrible violence that occurs the night of his mother’s death. It is in the moon where young Jessie searches for his mother. The moon watches over AB as he grieves the loss of his wife and son. The moon watches over all of us.
There is no working actor more physically capable than Carlo Daniels. You can’t help but admire his technique as he moves (light on his feet) for an hour straight without the audience losing a single word. His power does not stop there, as he again proves his emotional range. He seamlessly slips between different characters – the man, his wife and their son, Jessie – and emotions. He has the ability to make you giggle at the naivety of young love, and a few moments later rip your heart out with a powerful expression of grief.
I have admired Kanya Viljoen’s work for some time now. She has the ability to create a world out of minimal objects. It is here where her direction shines again. With a sensitive director’s hand, she creates visual images that are both striking and delicate, without distracting from the story at hand – a balancing act that few young directors have mastered.
The minimal but effective set draws the focus to the story masterfully told by Daniels. The two lamps are used to represent different characters. Combined with the lighting design, the lamps (integrated in the lighting design) create images that hold the story and pull the audience in. A special mention must be made to the technical team and composer, who never miss a beat.
Upon leaving the theatre with only the handful of audience members (in my opinion, way too few people had the privilege of experiencing the opening of this magnificent production at Woordfees), I was again struck by the magic of theatre – its ability to transport you through storytelling, without any bells and whistles, just two lamps, a chair, and an actor and director pairing up in control of their craft. I can’t remember when last an hour flew by so quickly.
The future of this production is uncertain, and so far there are not any upcoming performances scheduled. My hope is that the moon will continue gazing down at these two theatre makers, and that we will continue meeting them in dimly lit rooms where they shine brightly among the stars.
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LitNet | STAND: Teaterresensieslypskool 2023 | Theatre review workshop 2023