A brand new South African play, imbilini my friend makes its debut at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio, from 9 to 25 June 2022.
Written and performed by Bulelani Mabutyana along Siphenathi Mayekiso, this physical theatre two-hander explores trust, empathy and that of being the other.
A deep and profound friendship is put to the test between two young men who must grapple with issues of poverty, alcoholism, prejudice, society’s beliefs about albinism and the harshness of urban life, all which pose challenges to the bond between the two.
According to Baxter’s Fahiem Stellenboom, the play was selected from a cohort of 10 creatives who attended The Baxter Masambe Playlab, a four-month long, writing residency which was held at the Baxter last year and which offered writers time, space, peer-to-peer mentoring and financial resources to create new work, as part of the Baxter’s Platform for Special Talent programme.
Developed and mentored under the guidance of revered writer and director Lara Foot, Mabutyana and Mayekiso wrote Imbilini as an ode to their friendship, one of protectiveness amid society’s warped beliefs about albinism.
They navigate Mayekiso’s daily lived experience of albinism in a society that simply knows too little about the condition and how alcohol becomes a crutch to deal with the hardships faced by young men in South Africa. Mabutyana is protective of his friend and concerned for his safety.
The duo is directed by Mdu Kweyama, who is the curator and artistic director of the Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival. He has scooped a couple of awards in the industry including the Naledi award for Best Actor in a Lead Role and Best Original Choreography for Karoo Moose in 2008. He is a Fleur du Cap Best New Director winner, and in 2013 he won the best director award at the Setkani Festival in the Czech Republic for his adaptation of Mike van Graan’sBrothers in Blood.
In 2017 The Baxter launched an innovative playwriting residency, a laboratory space for new writers to create and develop new plays under the guidance of a dramaturg with the goal of developing a full-length play. It was within this space that Imbilini … my friend! was chosen to be developed and mentored by Baxter CEO and artistic director, Lara Foot.
Imbilini…my friend! runs at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio from 9 to 25 June 2022 at 7.30pm nightly, with Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. There is an age restriction of 13.
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Picture: Cape Town ETC