Empatheatre in association with the Playhouse Company and Open Society presents ULWEMBU.
Over the course of 2015, a dynamic team of story-tellers, playwrights, theatre-makers, academics and researchers, set about exploring the Whoonga (Low grade heroin) crises currently plaguing KZN communities.
The result of the two year research/play-making process, is a powerful new theatre production titled ULWEMBU (isiZulu for Spider web) which will be having a short public run at the Playhouse Loft theatre from 5th to the 9th of April 2016.
The creative team consists of award-winning playwright and director Neil Coppen (Tin Bucket Drum, Abnormal Loads & Animal Farm) top local actress Mpume Mtombeni, Kwa-Mashu based community-theatre group:The Big Brotherhood and educational sociologist Dylan McGarry.
ULWEMBU, which has been described as ‘poignant’ and “essential” viewing, affords local theatre audiences the opportunity to walk in the shoes of misunderstood others: be it users, dealers, police-officers, social-workers or parents of drug users.
“With Whoonga having a catastrophic effect on communities around South Africa,” says Mthombeni, “the problem needs to be understood and addressed out in the open.”
ULWEMBU, the creative team believe, provides the crucial place for transformative dialogue to take place, engaging the empathy, intellects and imaginations of audiences by allowing them to follow a series of characters realities without judgment or prejudice.
To create the script, the group set out to record oral histories and testimonials from a broad cross- section of Durbanites before transforming these accounts into an unforgettable documentary- theatre experience which is designed to change the way we see and understand each other as citizens.
“If we want to respond to drugs humanely and comprehensively in Durban” explains McGarry, “we need to first understand the interwoven and deeply connected nature of this problem. Our production strives to give this contentious issue, a more human face and perspective.”
Despite the serious themes, the creative team are quick to point out that ULWEMBU is far from a precautionary “Say no to drugs” play.
“With this production” urges Coppen, “we wanted to create an engrossing and visceral theatrical journey for audiences, allowing the power of the story and the characters escalating dilemmas, to reveal the many complexities and facets behind the crises.”
Show times scheduled at the Playhouse Loft theatre are as follows: Tuesday 5: 09h00 and 12h00. Wednesday 6 th 9h00 & 12h00, Thursday 7th 19h00, Friday 8th 12h00 & 19h00 and Saturday 19h00.
The cast includes Mpume Mthombeni, Vumani Khumalo, Phumlani Ngubane, Ngcebo Cele, Sandile Nxumalo and Zenzo Msomi. Direction is by Neil Coppen, Design by Dylan McGarry and lighting by Tina LeRoux.
The ULWEMBU team would like to extend the invite to police officers, social workers, public health practitioners, families affected by drug use, schools, and other concerned members of the public to come watch the play, and participate in the post-show exchange.
Booking is through Computicket and tickets are R50 for public performances. Community groups and local organizations can contact Dylan McGarry at armadylan@gmail.com for free admission. For more information please visit the ULWEMBU website: www.ulwembu.net
ULWEMBU has been made possible through the generous support of the Urban Futures Centre, Twist Theatre Development Project (Twist Durban), Think Theatre and the generous constant support of the Denis Hurley Centre.
This project is primarily funded by the OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS, as well as TWIST and the Urban Futures Centre
ULWEMBU: PLAYHOUSE LOFT (5-9th April 2016)
An arrest scene from Ulwembu: Understanding the lives of users and police alike is complex, there is a real dangers faced for both groups, and trying to understand the police's frustration and the user's desperation is a huge undertaking
Mpume Mthombeni's performance is outstanding as Portia the police women who desparetly seeks balance between justice, mercy and empathy.
“If we want to respond to drugs humanely and comprehensively in Durban” explains McGarry, “we need to first understand the interwoven and deeply connected nature of this problem. Our production strives to give this pressing issue, a more human face.”
Multi-award winning writer/director Neil Coppen and educational sociologist Dr. Dylan McGarry, in conjunction with SA Drug Policy, would like to invite you to come watch ULWEMBU – a multi-award winning ground- breaking, poignant, informative, honest and incisive theatre production about dependent drug-use and community transformation at The Hillbrow Theatre on Wednesday the 25th of January at 19h30.
“An extremely important piece of theatre… But this production is not a stereotyped “say no to drugs” play. It is a deeply researched theatre project, which is authentic, insightful, razor-sharp and frighteningly real. In fact, I would go as far as to say that this is educational theatre at its zenith.”
- Keith Millar, Theatre Critic, ARTSMART
Please RSVP by sending an email to drugpolicyweek@gmail.com and request the number of tickets you will be needing. Feel free to forward the invite onward to interested parties. Further details below.
Since 2014 a dynamic team of story-tellers, playwrights, theatre-makers, academics and researchers set about exploring the increasing levels of Whoonga (low-grade heroin) use currently plaguing KZN communities. The result of the two year research/play-making process, is a powerful new theatre production titled Ulwenbu (isiZulu for Spider web) which will be having a short public run at the Hillbrow theatre.
Ulwembu, which has been described as ‘poignant’ and ‘essential’ viewing, affords local theatre audiences the opportunity to walk in the shoes of misunderstood others: be it people who use illicit drugs, dealers, police-officers, social-workers or families of people who use drugs.
Generally the attitudes we see to drug use, is that it has a catastrophic effect on our communities, yet our research (alongside global research) shows that systemically it is the catastrophic state of our communities that are driving the use of Whoonga. “Drug use is not the root problem, but the symptom and politically expedient and attractive target.” says Shaun Shelly, a research partner from UCT and the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Pretoria and TB/HIV Care. Ulwembu reveals possible answers to some of the big questions we currently face around street level drug use in our country, through two years of in depth research at multiple scales.
Ulwembu is more than just a play, but an immersive social learning tool, that brings together diverse citizens and civil servants into a transformative and transgressive empathetic space. “ If we want to respond to drugs humanely and comprehensively in South Africa” explains Dr. Dylan McGarry (co-writer/producer), “we need to first understand the interwoven and deeply connected nature of this problem. Our production strives to give this contentious issue, a more human face and perspective…. We call this form of theatre ‘Empatheatre’ in which we create an ‘amphitheater of empathy’ for all those involved.”
The play itself is very powerful, and it completely expanded the teams expectations with regards to the power of theatre to not only change perception, but actually inspire meaningful change: “With this production” urges Neil Coppen (co-writer/director), “we wanted to create an engrossing and visceral theatrical journey for audiences, allowing the power of the story and the characters escalating dilemmas, to reveal the many complexities and facets behind the crises.”
Ulwembu was recently awarded best script, best director (Coppen), best-led actress (Mthombeni) and best supporting actor (Ngubane) and best newcomer (Ngcebo) at the 2017 Durban Theatre Awards. The cast includes Mpume Mthombeni, Vumani Khumalo, Phumlani Ngubane, Ngcebo Cele, Sandile Nxumalo and Zenzo Msomi. Direction is by Neil Coppen, Design by Dylan McGarry, the script is co-written by the entire team.
For more information please visit the Ulwembu website: www.ulwembu.net
Other show times at the Hillbrow theatre and its surrounds include Tues 24th Jan 2017 @15:30,Wed 25th @ 10:30 & 19:30, Thurs 26th : 10:30 @ 13:30, Friday 27th 10:30 @ Rand Aid Association Tarentaal Village. 200 Modderfontein Avenue.
Ulwembu was initially funded by the Open Society Foundations and this performance has been made possible through the generous support of the National Institute for Humanities and Social Science,. Urban Futures Centre, Twist Theatre Development Project (Twist Durban), Think Theatre and the constant support of the Denis Hurley Centre and the Hillbrow Theatre (Outreach Foundation).
RSVP Please
This special performance is aimed at policy makers, academics and professionals from government and civil society. Spaces are limited and on a first come first served basis.
Please RSVP by sending an email to drugpolicyweek@gmail.com and request the number of tickets you will be needing. Feel free to forward the inviteonwards to interested parties.
For further information contact:
Shaun Shelly at shaun@tbhivcare.org or Julie at drugpolicyweek@gmail.com
ULWEMBU AT THE HILLBROW THEATRE 2017
