The Market Theatre presents Paul Slabolepszy’s Pale Natives

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Pale Natives

Pale Natives is one of the gems in playwright Paul Slabolepszy’s dramatic repertoire. The play focuses on the surviving clan of white males in South Africa, with South Africa’s imminent changeover of government in 1994 as a backdrop.

With typical machismo, Rabelaisian* and comic humour, Slabolepszy relates the personal angst of his five 40-plus male characters in facing and handling their lives in a turbulent new South Africa.

By poignantly combining pathos, satire and comic humour, Slabolepszy enables us to empathise with them. Written 20 years ago but as topical as ever, the play suggests hope for the future, but this hope is ambiguous. The comic mirror Slabolepszy holds up to his audience ultimately questions the fate of present-day South Africa’s disillusioned Pale Natives.

Paul Slabolepszy’s special skill lies in how he is able to present to an audience the normality of South African life. His characters are people we meet in lifts, at a car wash; people who carry baggage that they’ve never questioned, people who wear armour to hide the vulnerability that they don’t want the world to see.

This new production of Pale Natives has an all-star cast featuring James Cairns, Ashley Dowds, Lionel Newton and Antony Coleman.

* Note: Rabelaisian humour refers to the vulgar use of bodily (scatological) sexual humour through exaggeration and the suspension of disbelief.

This production was made possible by a grant from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.

Production information:

Bookings can be made at Computicket, and at the Market Theatre box office on 011 832 1641. Tickets cost only R79 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Block booking discounts are available by contacting Market Theatre Audience Development on 011 832 1641 ext 121 or 135.

Performance times:

Tuesdays to Saturdays at 20h15 and Sundays at 15h15

Season:

09 April to 11 May 2014

Author: Paul Slabolepszy
Director: Bobby Heaney
Lighting designer: Nomvula Molepo
Set and costumes: Noluthando Lobese
Stage manager: Lebeisa Molepo
Publicist: Robert Motseko

Cast Role
James Cairns Eddie
Ashley Dowds Ashley
Lionel Newton Kyle
Antony Coleman Rouxs

 


 

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