Created and Composed by
Jean-Pierre Hadida
Canberra Theatre Centre
Until 24 November
Reviewed by Samara Purnell
History is punctuated with
individuals who incite change, spark hope, fan the flames of passion and
conviction, unite people and challenge them with a call to action - or a test
of patience. It’s hard to deny that Nelson Mandela was such an individual.
“Madiba the Musical”,
directed by Pierre-Yves Duchesne and Dennis Watkins, is described as a love
story. Rather than tell the detailed, personal story of Nelson Mandela, affectionately
known as Madiba, a name derived from his Xhosa clan, Mandela is a ubiquitous presence,
a father figure, and an overseer through which to tell the story of apartheid.
Nelson Mandela’s inspirational strategy, patience and unwavering determination to
end racial segregation without retaliation is the backdrop of the conflicts
depicted here and of the struggle of fictional individuals, depicting reality,
until apartheid ended in 1994.
“Madiba” unfolds through vignettes
and tableaux, with some clunky timing between set changes and exits. Fairly
generic images were projected as the backdrop in the first act, and small moveable platforms created the simple sets. The depiction of prison cells behind
the cyc screen was impressive and effectively gave a ghostly presence to Mandela and
his inmates, as he patiently saw out his 27-year prison sentence on Robben Island,
whilst outside-world events played out on stage.
This passage of time was conveyed
through a myriad of dance styles, choreographed by Johan Nus, with super-slow motion
movements to freeze-frame an event and simultaneously give the feeling of years
passing. Hip-hop, acrobatic tumbles and breakdance were performed by the
ensemble to a lesser degree but primarily by the narrator (David Denis), whose
raison d’etre was not fully revealed until the end. A small ensemble of lithe,
muscular men and women perform hybrid dance styles, inspired of course by
traditional African dance.
The music was a mix of rap,
some reminiscent of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” and rhythmically delivered
spoken word by the narrator but with the majority of the musical numbers melodic,
pretty and melancholic. Some of the colour, stirring music and joie de vivre expected
from the vibrancy of “the rainbow nation” felt restrained. Despite
the absence of a stand-out “showstopper” number, the entire cast attacked their
roles with impressive earnesty, and the singing was beautiful.
Perci Moeketsi brilliantly
embodied Nelson Mandela, from his physical traits, voice and dance to his
dignity and his frailty. Ruva Ngwenya as Winnie Mandela and Tarasai Vushe as the
fictional character Sandy delivered their songs with passion and conviction, giving
stand out performances and Tim Onaji, (ex-Canberran ‘Timomatic’) impressed with
his acting, singing and dancing.
Whilst the first act of “Madiba”
was a somewhat disjointed overview, in the second act, the fictional character
of Will (Barry Conrad) begins to take shape with more of a narrative love story
and his sketches, appropriately drawn in “black and white” are used to animate
the backdrop. His love interest Helena (Madeline Perrone), the white daughter
of Afrikaans police officer Peter Van Leden, returns home to find her father a
broken man, wracked with guilt over his part in the Sharpeville massacre. The song
“It’s Time now to Forgive” between Helena, Will and tenor Blake Erikson as Van
Leden is beautifully moving, as was Erikson’s “My Civilization”.
The description by “Madiba”
creator and songwriter, Jean-Pierre Hadida is of “A hymn to love and democracy”,
which explains the reverence and mood of the musical numbers - sweet and
endearing but never really giving performers a chance to hit their straps. That
said, the national anthem “Nkosi sikelei iAfrika” was sung with stunning harmonies.
A captivating and
enjoyable production, without the dramatic dynamism, leaves the words of
Mandela “I was not born with the hunger to be free, I was born free”
resonating, in an endearing show, encapsulating love of a country, a nation,
love between people, families and individuals and ultimately, hopefully,
between races.
